Memoirs of A Diva: Book Five: Big Things
by punkydiva17
Summary: *Story Completed* 2004 is a big year for Shane, Rinoa and the WWE. R
1. Happy Valentine's Day

**Chapter One: Happy Valentine's Day**

Rinoa Fielder-McMahon felt queasy when she woke up on a chilly morning in February. It was Valentine's Day, a day that she had grown to love since she had gotten married, and she could smell Shane making breakfast down in the kitchen. It was becoming a tradition that he always made a nice breakfast for her on Valentine's Day. No matter how busy he was, he always put aside the time to attempt to cook for her. He wasn't much of a cook; life on the road had made that a very real possibility. But he had gotten better since he had married Rinoa; he was no longer in danger of burning his house down. However, at the moment, just the smell of food was making her feel sicker than she ever thought possible. She couldn't handle it at the moment. Pulling back the covers, she rushed into the bathroom and emptied her stomach contents into the toilet, throwing up until she was dry heaving, clutching the porcelain tightly between her whitened fingers. She wondered if it was the right moment to start praying for death.

Shane entered the bedroom a few minutes later and noticed the bed was empty, the covers thrown back, half on the bed, half on the floor. He could hear his wife heaving in the bathroom. It sounded like she was very sick. He placed the tray down on a nearby nightstand and made his way to the closed bathroom door. He knocked. "Rinoa?"

He was greeted with the sound of her heaving a little more. "Rinoa, baby, are you all right?"

"I think so," she cried out, her voice shaky. "I think I've got the flu." He shook his head.

"Can I come in?"

"I don't know if I want you to see me like this," she confessed.

"Nothing I haven't seen before," he replied, chuckling softly, opening the door. Her long baby blue nightgown was fanned out along the floor, her head rested against the porcelain. Her stomach was sore from all the heaving. He sat down in front of her and gathered her into his arms. "Happy Valentine's Day," he whispered in her ear. She started laughing, even though it hurt her body at the moment to laugh. "Even if you are throwing up a lung, you're still gorgeous," he informed her. She smiled, before looking up at him.

"Sorry, baby. I don't think you're getting laid tonight." He laughed, holding her tighter against him. She pushed herself away and got sick again. He held her hair back. When she was finished, he leaned over to the tub and began to fill up a warm bath for her. He slowly stood her up and helped her out of her nightgown before helping her into the tub. He kissed the top of her head.

"I'll be back, okay? I'm just going to run to the drug store and get you something for your stomach." She nodded and he disappeared out of the door, leaving her to lean her head back against the tub and relax. She hadn't been so sick in ages. Since the last trip to Scotland when half of the Raw roster came down with food poisoning. It had been a nightmarish weekend.

Shane returned within fifteen minutes and had her take some Gravol to soothe her stomach. He washed her hair and massaged her shoulders. She still felt nauseous, but it was starting to subside a little bit. Her stomach still felt funny. He helped her out of the tub, drying her off and leading her into the bedroom. He had her favorite flannel pajamas laid out on the bed and she changed into them. Shane tucked her into bed and grabbed an ice cream bucket for her in case she got sick again. He climbed into the bed beside her and she rested her head up against his chest, falling asleep again.

Shane shook his head. It had been ages since she had gotten so sick. He hated seeing her like that. Her breathing was slowing down. He wished that he could make her feel better, but he knew she was going to have to ride it out. And unfortunately, out of all the days to be sick, Valentine's Day had to be it. He was going to take her out to dinner and out to see a movie or something, but now he knew that he had to revamp his plans. He couldn't expect to just dress her up and drag her around New York while she felt like death was blooming. He sighed.

"You upset?"

"With what?"

"I'm sick."

He chuckled softly, stroking her hair. "Of course not," he assured her. "It's not your fault. Let's just focus on making you feel better, okay?" She nodded. "Good."

The day slowly faded into the night and they spent the day laying in bed together, watching old black and white films. Rinoa was slowly but surely feeling better, but she still felt kind of shaky. She was still fading in and out of sleep, something that wasn't lost on Shane.

He left her sleeping and went down to the kitchen to make dinner. He softly unwrapped her arm from around him and made his way out. She stirred about twenty minutes later and woke up, sitting up. Her stomach was still kind of sore, there was a funny feeling about it, but she didn't feel half as bad as she did in the morning. "Shane?" she called out.

"I'll be right up," he called out. "Just stay in bed." She listened to him, resting her head back down on the pillow. When he appeared back in the bedroom, he held a tray with two bowls of soup and some crackers. She smiled softly as he made his way to the bed, gripping tightly to the tray. "I thought this might make you feel better," he told her. "Just eat it slow." She nodded, curling up close to him as they watched old movies and ate soup. Even though it wasn't what Shane had in mind, he still considered it to be the best Valentine's Day he'd ever had.


	2. A Beautiful Surprise

**Chapter Two: A Beautiful Surprise**

Rinoa sat at the doctor's office, reading an old issue of _People _magazine, flipping the pages with severe disinterest. Shane was on the road taking a meeting with some advertisers, and before he left, he had urged Rinoa to go to the doctor. She had been sick for the last week. Shane was worried about her, but she had assured him that she was fine and he had reluctantly gone on the road without her, though he was calling her incessantly, trying to make sure that she was all right. It was comical, yet sweet how much he had still worried about her after all the years they had been together.

Rinoa was pretty sure she knew what it was. After being married to Shane for almost two years, she was pregnant. She had thought about it that morning. She couldn't remember her last period; but she had never kept track and had been so busy with the life of a WWE Diva, she just didn't think about it. It wasn't he flu; she was suffering from morning sickness. And she was eating more lately, never quite feeling full. There was no question about it; she was pretty sure she was pregnant.

"Mrs. McMahon?"

Rinoa looked up at the receptionist and stood to her feet, placing the magazine back down on the table. She followed the middle aged woman down the hallway and into the doctor's office. "What seems to be the issue, Mrs. McMahon?" the young woman asked. Rinoa smiled.

"I think I'm pregnant." The receptionist flashed her a smile.

"First child?" she asked Rinoa, writing the information down inside the folder.

"Yes."

"That's wonderful," she replied. "The doctor will be with you in a few moments." Rinoa nodded and she disappeared from the room, leaving Rinoa with her thoughts. She tried to trace the dates back. She couldn't have been more than two months along. She wasn't showing, just showing symptoms. Things had been so busy, she couldn't pinpoint which time could have been the time she got pregnant.

She thought about Shane. He was so worried thinking that she had come down with a terrible flu. She had been so sick he was worried that she was halfway towards death. She couldn't help but wonder how he would react to becoming a father. She knew she should be excited to become a mother, it was something that everybody was looking forward to. But she was pretty scared more than anything else, wondering if she was going to screw up motherhood when faced with such a huge responsibility.

Dr. Thomas walked into the room several minutes later, while she gazed languidly out the window. "Good morning, Mrs. McMahon. How are you feeling?"

"I feel a bit better than I did this morning," she confessed. "But by this afternoon, I could be back in the same boat." He smiled and looked at the clipboard.

"So...you're pretty sure you're pregnant," he replied. She nodded. "How far along do you think you are?"

"I can't be any more than two months if I am," she replied. He gave her a once over. "I'm definitely not far along enough to be showing." He picked up on her tone.

"You don't seem all that excited."

"I am...it's just...well, Shane and I have been trying to have a child for two years now. I was starting to think I was infertile." She felt a blush crawl up her neck as she confided the information to the doctor. He smiled.

"Well, we know that's not the case now," he told her with a smile. "So what we're going to do is run a pregnancy test and from there we'll set up another appointment to see just how far along you are if you are indeed pregnant." Rinoa smiled, nodding.

"It just makes me so nervous to think I could be pregnant," Rinoa said, taking a deep breath.

"Every woman is nervous the first time around," he told her. "But I wouldn't worry too much about it. Something tells me that you and your husband will make terrific parents." He flashed her a reassuring smile. "I'll go see about a test and we'll go from there." She nodded and he disappeared. She put a hand to her stomach. She could envision what it would be like for her stomach to be swollen with child. Her hands were a little shaky; she was wondering just how she was going to tell Shane. Or Vince. If she was pregnant, she knew that her in-ring career was over. She wasn't even sure how she was going to maintain the schedule she was keeping now after she had a child.

She thought about Shane. How was he going to react? He wasn't in any rush to have children. So far, he was concerned that she had come down with a bad case of food poisoning or the flu. She thought about Stephanie becoming an aunt. Stephanie would be over the moon. She thought about the timing. If she was two months along, then it stood to reason that she had gotten pregnant around Christmas or New Year's Eve...maybe even sooner.

Dr. Thompson made his way back into the room and handed her the box. He showed her to a bathroom and she made her way inside.


	3. Surprise

**Chapter Three: Surprise!**

Rinoa was impatient waiting for Shane to get home. He was due home any moment. It was killing her not saying anything to anybody, but she didn't feel right just telling Shane over the phone that she was pregnant. She wasn't sure if it was morning sickness or nerves, but she felt sicker than she had ever felt.

She had dressed nice; a simple black skirt with a white button-down shirt, a strand of pearls around her neck and her hair pinned back elegantly. She was pacing back and forth, munching on saltine crackers to try and keep her stomach calm. She had been throwing up everything that she had eaten, and she was beginning to wonder if she was even going to be able to put on any sort of pregnancy weight.

The doorbell rang. She smiled. It was either Vince or Linda, or Stephanie and Hunter. She had invited them all, planning to surprise the entire group at once. It beat having to go to everybody's homes to tell them, or to just tell Shane and then have it spread word of mouth.

Stephanie flashed her a smile from the other side of the door. She looked great, her brown hair curled and styled, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black button-down shirt. Hunter stood behind Stephanie, looking almost sheepish. His blond hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and he was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and an old Motorhead T-shirt. Rinoa smiled back at them. "Shane-O's not back yet?" Stephanie asked, eyebrow cocked. Rinoa nodded.

"He should be here anytime," Rinoa replied. "Come on in. Can I get you guys something to drink?"

"Sure," Hunter replied. "Do you guys have any beer?"

Rinoa nodded. "I think so," she replied. "I'll check. Steph?" She nodded and followed Rinoa into the kitchen while Hunter took a seat on the couch.

"How are you feeling?" Stephanie asked. "Shane told me you've been pretty sick."

"Yeah," Rinoa said, checking the fridge. She pulled out a bottle of beer while Stephanie grabbed a bottle opener and opened it up. There was a knock on the door. Rinoa went for it, but Stephanie shrugged.

"Hunter will get it." She smiled. "How's married life on the second go-round?"

"Fine," Stephanie replied. "Better than last time." Rinoa nodded. Things seemed to be better between Stephanie and Hunter. Rinoa handed her sister-in-law the beer to take to Hunter. Vince and Linda were standing at the entrance of the kitchen; Vince in a black T-shirt and black jeans, with Linda in a pale blue pantsuit. She smiled. "Mom, Dad, you guys made it."

"Shane O's not here, yet?" Vince inquired. Rinoa shook her head.

"His flight landed about twenty minutes ago, so it's any time now," she replied.

"Do you need help with dinner?" Linda asked. Rinoa nodded.

"I just need to make the salad and set the table. If you guys want to do that, I'll run upstairs and grab that robe I wanted to show you." Linda nodded and Rinoa bolted from the kitchen. A wave of nausea hit her at the top of the stairs and she stood by herself for a second, waiting for the feeling to subside. She then made her way into the bedroom and into the closet, grabbing the robe Shane had brought her back from his last trip to Japan. She quickly made her way downstairs.

Stephanie's eyes widened. "Oh, Noa, that's beautiful," Stephanie breathed, standing to her feet to examine the robe close up. Hunter smirked.

"I'm sure the blue looks great on you, Rinoa," he commented. She smiled.

"It's so beautiful," Rinoa confessed. "Shane got it on his last meeting in Japan."

"How did the meeting go?"

"Great. It looks like by 2005 we could be taping Raw and SmackDown over there for sure. They were incredibly receptive to the idea when I went, but they wanted to go over a few last minute details with Shane." Vince and Linda came out of the kitchen and looked over the robe. The door unlocked and Shane entered. He was surprised to see his family there.

"Hey," he said, placing his suitcase by the door and taking his shoes off. He couldn't keep the surprise off of his face or from his voice. "What's everyone doing here?"

"I thought we'd all have a family dinner," Rinoa replied, making her way over to him. She gave him a soft kiss. "That sound good for you?"

"Yeah," he replied. He looked over at Stephanie and Hunter. "How's married life going?"

"Great," Stephanie confessed. "Taking our time and not cramming everything into a month and a half has been very beneficial for us." Shane smirked and laughed. She always took shots at the fact that he had married Rinoa so fast.

"Can't argue with success," he said with a shrug. Hunter chuckled. "Is dinner ready? It smells great."

"Yeah," Linda replied. "I finished up the last of the stuff. Are we going to eat now?"

"I could use to eat," Rinoa replied with a smile. He flashed his wife a look.

"You're feeling better?"

"It comes and goes," she confessed. They all made their way into the kitchen and sat down around the table while Stephanie and Rinoa placed the food on the table.

"Randy Orton was asking about you," Vince said, cutting into his roast. Rinoa cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"He heard you weren't feeling very well. It's amazing how much that kid looks up to you." Rinoa shook her head. "Don't sell yourself short on this one, Rinoa. No matter how out of line he steps, you always seem to know how to reign him back in." She laughed.

"I don't know about that. But we have to remember he grew up with Ric Flair and Roddy Piper. He's looking for stories like they had. He's still young...it'll all get out of his system eventually. He owes you a lot for showing so much patience with him, Dad." Vince smiled.

"You're right, Rinoa. He's still young. I have a lot of faith in this kid."

"And your faith in John Cena?"

"Unshakeable," Vince replied. "The man is so dedicated to this business. He's a breath of fresh air, and a true leader." Hunter nodded.

"He seems like a good kid," Hunter replied. "I see big things happening with him." Rinoa nodded. "Same with Dave."

"How is it with Orton and Batista?"

"They're learning a lot from Hunter and Ric," Vince said. "I think the best thing that happened with those two was Hunter here taking them under his wing."

"Have you ever met John Cena, Rinoa?" Shane asked. Rinoa thought about it a second and nodded.

"Kind of. We haven't really had a chance to talk. Separate brands and dealing with different things...you know how it is." Shane nodded. She looked at Vince. "You sure dodged a bullet with his knee." Vince nodded. At the _Royal Rumble_ in January, Cena had tore his PCL after being thrown over the top rope by the Big Show. He hadn't required surgery; however, he was running around with an enormous, awkward brace on his knee. He still competed, night in and night out, without a single complaint. It was a trait that Rinoa admired.

"We have some tremendous talent," Shane replied. Rinoa nodded in agreement. "Speaking of talent, Dad, I heard Rock called you the other day." Vince nodded.

"Yeah. He's looking to do some promotion for _Walking Tall_ so we're going to do something with him for_ WrestleMania XX_." Rinoa cocked an eyebrow.

"That's awesome," she commented, taking a bite out of her salad. "I would love to see him again. It's great to see he's been so successful outside of the ring."

"Better actor than Hogan," Hunter replied with a smirk. Rinoa nodded in agreement. Her nerves were twitching. She just wanted to blurt everything out to them, but she knew that after dinner, when they were all together in the living room, would be the perfect time. She shot a glance at Shane; he smiled back at her reassuringly as they continued to eat and chatter about the upcoming _WrestleMania._

Everybody gathered in the living room after dinner. Vince, Linda, Stephanie and Hunter were sitting in the living room while Shane and Rinoa cleaned up from dinner. They were all in the living room, talking about Hunter's upcoming title match at _WrestleMania XX_. Chris Benoit had won the _Royal Rumble_, and it appeared that there was going to be a triple threat with Shawn Michaels for the belt. Rinoa wasn't crazy about Shawn being in the main event picture; as the feud between Hunter and Shawn had eaten up much of 2002 and 2003, but she would never question Vince's instinct. At the end of the day, the man always knew what sold the most tickets.

Placing the last of the leftovers in the refrigerator, Shane and Rinoa made their way into the living room. His arm was draped over her shoulder, her arm around his waist. They were both smiling. Vince looked at the two of them. "Look at them, Linda," he said, "All this time together, and the two of them still look as though they've just been married." Rinoa couldn't keep the smile from crossing her face.

"Are you guys all in a good mood?" she asked. They laughed. "Shane and I have something we need to tell you guys."

"Do we?" Shane asked, cocking an eyebrow. She nodded.

"What's up?" Stephanie asked. Rinoa was still smiling. She thought her face would crack if she couldn't quit smiling.

"Well...I don't really know how to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out..." She shot a look at Shane, who was staring at her, mystified. "The reason I invited all of you guys here, is to tell you guys...I'm pregnant."

Stephanie's eyes widened. Shane's eyes widened. Vince and Linda knew in that moment that Shane hadn't been told yet either. Shane shook his head as though he needed to get the cobwebs out. "Wait...Rinoa...when did you find this out?"

"Monday...while you were on the road...I didn't exactly want to tell you about it over the phone. I thought a family dinner would be the perfect time." Shane hugged her tightly.

"This...this is...amazing. It's terrific!" Vince stood to his feet and gave his son a hug while Stephanie fawned over Rinoa.

"How far along are you?" Stephanie asked. Rinoa shrugged.

"I don't know," she replied. "But I have a doctor's appointment next week to figure that out." Stephanie hugged her brother while Hunter hugged Rinoa.

"Congratulations, you two," he said. Rinoa thanked him as Vince gave her a hug.

"We're going to be grandparents," Vince said to his wife as he hugged Rinoa. "This is the best surprise." Rinoa stole a look at Shane. He still looked stricken with surprise. "You two are going to make terrific parents."

"Thanks, Dad," Rinoa replied. "It means a lot to hear that."

"I'm going to be an auntie," Stephanie replied in a sing-song tone. Shane laughed. "This is so awesome. Isn't it great, Hunter?"

"It's terrific," he replied. "I don't really know what else to say."

"I wasn't even really sure how else I was going to tell everyone," Rinoa confessed. "I've been bursting at the seams to say something since I saw Dr. Thomas."

"No one knows outside of us?" Stephanie asked. Rinoa shook her head.

"I wouldn't tell anyone first unless Shane was present. He'd be the first to know." Shane put his arm around Rinoa.

"Have you thought about names?" Stephanie asked. Rinoa laughed.

"Are you kidding? I haven't thought about much outside of the morning sickness, moodswings and cravings." They all laughed and sat down on the couch, talking about their childhoods, and how exciting it was to have another new addition to the McMahon family.

"Fifth generation of McMahons," Shane commented. He was rested in bed, hands behind his head. Rinoa was in the bathroom. She appeared in the doorway of the bedroom, her body wrapped in a baby blue silk robe. She smiled at him, and he flashed her a warm smile in return. She closed the bedroom door and untied her robe, letting it slide down her arms before she hung it on the back of the door. She was wearing a baby blue silk camisole with matching shorts. "You know...I'm kind of hoping for a boy," he confessed. She climbed under the blankets beside him. "I can't believe how lucky I feel." He pulled her closer to him, until her head was rested against his shoulder. He turned out the light.

"I'm kind of hoping for a girl," Rinoa confessed. "You know, just to have a child that I can do the girl stuff with. I think you understand what I mean."

"Of course," he told her, kissing the top of her head. "I can't believe this; we're going to have a family. Did you see how Steph reacted? She just about hit the roof. She's so happy about becoming an aunt."

"She's going to make a terrific aunt. Hunter's going to make a great uncle. Nobody's going to fuck with our kids." Shane chuckled. "I can't believe this. It feels so weird to know I have a child growing inside of me." He put his hand on her stomach and kissed her. She rested her head on his shoulder and within moments, she was asleep. She was so exhausted. With another kiss to her forehead, he rested his head against hers and fell asleep, thinking about how wonderful it was going to be to have a family.


	4. An Unexpected Honor

**Chapter Four: An Unexpected Honor**

Rinoa entered the arena with a wide smile on her face. Shane had more or less told everybody about their impending bundle of joy, and the technicians were offering her congratulations and well wishes, causing Rinoa to blush and thank them profusely. It was no secret that Shane and Rinoa were two of the most well liked and respected members of the McMahon family in the locker room.

She had gone to the doctor and had found out she was just a little over two months along. She would be due around _Unforgiven_, maybe a little after. She was dressed in a pinstripe suit with a black T-shirt underneath the blazer, her hair brushed down around her face. She was still getting sick left and right, but she managed to make it look as though things were fine when she was out in public.

"Noa!"

She turned to see Randy Orton rush over to her, the Intercontinental Championship slung over his broad shoulder, a wide smile on his face. "Randy!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "How are you?"

"Great, great," he replied with a smile. "What's this I hear about you being pregnant?" She laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's true," she replied. "I'm a little over two months along."

"Shane must be over the moon," he said. "Hunter told me. He's so excited to become an uncle. He told me he's hoping for a nephew." Rinoa laughed.

"Shane's very happy," Rinoa told him. "He's going to be a terrific father."

"Just like you're going to be a terrific mother." Rinoa blushed. "Don't be so modest, Rinoa. You're a terrific woman, and you're going to be a terrific mother." She smiled.

"Thanks so much for your vote of confidence, Randy. I want you to know that I want my child to call you uncle Randy, if you have no objection." He smiled at her.

"I would be honored," he told her, giving her a hug. He heard her sniffle and he cocked an eyebrow. "Rinoa McMahon, are you crying?" He was incredulous as he pulled back and she wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'm sorry, Randy," she apologized. "I've been really emotional the last few days. Shane must think I'm a total bitch." Randy shook his head, scoffing at her remark.

"I doubt that. He loves you very much, Rinoa. You're a very lucky woman."

"I know I am," she told him.

"Girlie!"

Randy and Rinoa looked down the hallway to see Trish Stratus and Victoria rush over to her. Trish was dressed in a white halter dress, her hair waved around her face. Victoria was dressed in blue jeans and a black tank top, with a black and white leather jacket unzipped. Her long raven hair was pulled back in a cap and the Women's Championship, a belt she had to defend against Molly at _WrestleMania_, slung over her shoulder. "We heard the news!" Trish squealed, hugging her.

"How far along are you?" Victoria asked.

"A little over two months."

"This is so awesome."

"You guys are so lucky," Trish replied. Rinoa blushed. Randy told Rinoa he had to go see Hunter and she gave him a hug goodbye, before he disappeared down the hallway. "Have you thought about names?"

"Not yet," Rinoa replied. "Would you two be offended if you guys were known as Auntie Trish and Auntie Victoria?" Victoria and Trish squealed in delight.

"Of course not," Victoria replied. "How awesome is that?"

"How is Shane?"

"Over the moon," Rinoa confessed, "but I can't imagine he's enjoying the moodswings. Pregnancy isn't very glamorous." Victoria and Trish laughed. "The things they don't tell you. I don't get why they call it 'morning sickness' – I'm sick from sunrise to sunset. I'm bitchy all the time, and everything that I'm eating is coming up. It's driving me crazy." Trish smiled.

"It'll pass," Trish replied. "Within the next few months, you'll get sick less and less until you're not sick at all." Rinoa nodded. "Where are you off to?"

"I'm off to see Chris Jericho, Trish." Trish flinched at the mention of his name. Things had been forgiven between the two of them, but Trish was still pretty hurt over it. "He's my best friend. I don't even know if he knows yet."

"Are you kidding? Word's spread like wildfire here," Victoria said with a laugh. "Stacy Keibler is absolutely beside herself with envy." The thought made Rinoa smile. "Come on. We'll walk you to the locker room. What are you hoping for?"

"I'm hoping for a girl, Shane's hoping for a boy. Can you believe this is going to be the fifth generation of McMahon?" Trish was impressed. "Stephanie is absolutely ecstatic to be an aunt. She's hoping for a niece, too. But Randy said Hunter's hoping for a nephew." Trish and Victoria laughed. They stopped in front of Chris' locker room.

"We'll see you after our segments?"

"You know it," Rinoa replied with a smile. The girls gave her ahug and disappeared. Rinoa turned and knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

Chris Jericho was jumping from foot to foot, trying to get his bearings, and jumpstart his cardio. He was taking on Kane tonight. He stopped and turned to see Rinoa smiling at him. He gave her a hug. "Congratulations, Mommy."

"Thanks," she said with a laugh. "I never realized how fast the word travels around the WWE locker room. I don't think there's a single person here who doesn't know."

"Are you going to at least come out for _WrestleMania XX?_" he asked. She nodded.

"I'm supposed to do some Hall of Fame stuff," she replied. "Accompany some of the guys out after they've been inducted." She smiled. "Selfishly, it kind of sucks I won't be a part of the biggest _WrestleMania_ of them all, but at the same time, I'm pretty excited about being pregnant."

"How have you been feeling?"

"I tire out fast," she confessed, "And I eat all the time. But Shane's been so terrific. He keeps telling me how beautiful I am, and he keeps talking about plans for the nursery and everything he wants to do with his child. Mom and Dad are ecstatic." Chris smiled. "I do have an ulterior motive for why I'm here, Chris."

"Yeah?" he asked, sliding on his elbow pads. "What's that?"

"Chris, you and I have been through a lot together, you know that?" She sighed. "I owe you a lot. You've looked out for me more than you've really had to, and it's meant so much to me." He looked over at her. There was a lot of emotion in her eyes. He made his way over to her and hugged her again.

"I wouldn't think of anyone else I'd love to worry about," he told her. "You've put up with a lot of my bullshit." She laughed. "So what's up? What's on your mind?"

"Chris..." she stopped for a second, trying to think about what she was going to say. "Chris, I don't really know how to ask, so I'm just going to spit it out. Chris, would you please be the godfather for my baby?"

He stared at her in surprise. "Are you serious?" She nodded. "Does Shane know?"

"Of course," she replied. "He was all for it. He knows how important you are to me." She looked at him. He was surprised, and she knew it. "Will you, Chris?"

"Wow, Rinoa..." he breathed. "I don't think you know just how flattered I am that you're asking me this. God, I'm so flattered."

"So you will?"

"Of course," he said, hugging her tightly. "I hope you have a boy." Rinoa laughed. "But if you have a girl, I know she's going to be beautiful like her mother." Rinoa blushed.

"Thank you, Chris. It means a lot to hear that." The two of them stood in the middle of his locker room in silence, encased in a hug.


	5. WrestleMania XX

**Chapter Five: WrestleMania XX**

"Hola, mamacita, you look hot!"

"Thanks, Eddie," Rinoa laughed, a wide smile crossing her features. She was dressed in a scarlet business suit with a white blouse that had two of the top buttons undone. They were backstage at Madison Square Garden, getting ready for _WrestleMania XX_. "Where are you off to?"

"I'm off to give Chris some good luck," he told her. Chris Benoit was understandably nervous about headlining a _WrestleMania_. "Can I give him your well wishes, too?"

"You know it, Eddie. Good luck out there tonight against...you know..." He nodded. Eddie didn't know about what had happened with Rinoa and Kurt Angle, but he knew a few minor details as to why Shane went out of his way to keep Kurt away from Rinoa. Eddie slapped hands with her and hugged her before disappearing down the hallway.

"Hey, mama!"

She turned to see the Rock staring back at her. "Hey!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "It's great to see you. How are you?"

"Great. Been keeping busy," he confessed. "I can't believe how in demand I've been. It's a total honor to know that people would pay to see movies I'm in." She smiled.

"It's great to see you back here," she told him.

"What's been up? Word around here is that you and the Boy Wonder are expecting your first child." She nodded and he flashed her a beautiful smile. "That's great to hear. When are you due?"

"September twenty-fifth. With my luck, the kid is going to be so late." He laughed.

"Kids are tremendous," he told her. "Simone is just too precious. It never ceases to amaze me how just the little things can captivate a child so much, you know?" She nodded. "I heard Hunter and Steph are giving marriage another go." Rinoa nodded.

"They got remarried back in October. They spent all last year planning it out."

"Not taking the Shane O'Mac approach to wedding planning?" he asked. She laughed.

"No. I don't think Stephanie has the wherewithall to be calm about it," she laughed. "You'd look up Bridezilla in the dictionary and her picture would be there, foaming at the mouth." They laughed at the image.

"Shane's a very lucky guy." She blushed. "You're too modest about yourself," he told her. "It's always so refreshing to see two people who are still so in love with each other after being together for so long. You two are going to have a beautiful child."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "It means a lot to hear."

"Hey...look...it's Rinoa!"

She turned to see Mick Foley and she hugged him. "It's been ages since I've seen you," she said, hugging him tightly. "How are you?"

"Good, good. Getting ready to lay the smackdown on your friend."

"Forgive Randy. He's still young and stupid." They laughed.

"I heard you're expecting a visit from the stork," he said. She laughed.

"Only Foley," Rock laughed. She nodded.

"I guess we can't ask you to accompany us out to ringside tonight?" Mick asked. Rinoa shook her head.

"You kidding? I'll probably go into the Divas locker room and fall asleep. Plus I'm still sick. I'd hate for someone to take the fight out to ringside and slip, if you catch my meaning." They laughed.

"I heard you asked Chris Jericho to be the godfather," Mick said.

"How did you hear that?"

"He won't shut up about it," Mick replied. They laughed. "For good reason. That's a huge thing for him. He is ecstatic. You'd think he was the one having a kid." She laughed. "Anyways, we've got to get going. Doing an interview with Lilian Garcia. Ready to go, Rock?"

"Yeah," he answered. They bid Rinoa farewell and disappeared down the hallway. She watched after them, a soft smile on her face. She was exhausted.

_WrestleMania XX_ went off smoothly, with the exception of Ultimo Dragon slipping and falling on his way out to the Cruiserweight open. Randy, Batista and Ric defeated Rock and Mick Foley, while Torrie Wilson and Sable defeated Miss Jackie and Stacy Keibler. The only real low point of the night came during the Brock Lesnar-Bill Goldberg fight. The fans were hostile, the match was horrible, and Rinoa wished that somebody could arrest the two of them for insulting the legacy of _WrestleMania_ the way that they had. Trish Stratus had unceremoniously dumped Chris Jericho, aligning herself with Christian. Jericho was hurt, but the fact he was about to be a godfather dulled the pain a fair amount. Eddie had retained his championship and in what was considered to be a true moment of friendship, he had surprised Benoit at the end of the night after he had won the World Heavyweight Championship after forcing Hunter to tap out to the Crippler Crossface. Rinoa knew for as long as she lived, she would never forget the image of the confetti raining down in the arena as Eddie and Chris stood together, holding the Raw and SmackDown titles, their arms raised in victory. It was beautiful.

During the main event, while Shane and Stephanie were dealing with things backstage, Rinoa decided that she was going to go and meet John Cena. Sure, she had met him before, before he had signed with WWE, but she was hoping to make friends with him as well.

John Cena sat in his chair, staring at the United States Championship rested on the chair across from him. It was his second year in the company and it was his first WWE Championship that he had won. At his first _WrestleMania_, no less. He just needed to take a moment and revel in the moment. It meant that big things were truly going to happen for him. Even if he was in the mid-card tier, it was only a matter of time before he became a main eventer. He was already dreaming of the next step, of getting the WWE Championship. There was always next year. He knew it was time to step up his game.

There was a knock on the door. He cocked an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting anybody. "Yeah?"

The door opened and Rinoa entered the room. "John Cena?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know if you remember me, but I sat in on your contract signing..."

"Of course I remember you," he replied, standing to his feet and extending his hand to shake. "You're Shane's wife. Rinoa, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, a smile crossing her face. "I'm amazed you remember. For some reason everyone calls me Rita." He laughed.

"That's hard to believe. Rinoa's a very unique name." He sat down. "Word around the back here is you're pregnant. Congratulations."

"Thanks. Wow... word spreads to SmackDown, too, huh?" He nodded, laughing. "Yeah. I am pregnant. It's quite a rollercoaster ride." He smiled.

"So what can I do for you, Rinoa?"

"Well, everyone keeps telling me about how amazing John Cena is, and I thought I would like to get to know you a bit more. I'm pretty good friends with Randy Orton, and I know he's a pretty good friend of yours. Are you cool with being friends?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"This isn't a politic kind of thing, is it?"

She shook her head. "God, no," she laughed. "I may be married to Shane, but I sure as hell don't like to throw that around backstage. I'm a wrestler, first and foremost. I know what it's like to do anything to get to the big leagues."

"Yeah?"

"I got a lot of scars," she chuckled. "I've done some pretty stupid things in my career." He was intrigued.

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"You ever heard of a C4 match?"

"Where they rig the ring with explosives?" She nodded. "You are seriously trying to tell me you've done a C4 match?"

"I've also competed in rings lined with barbed wire. It's a miracle I don't have more scars." She sat down. He was surprised. She looked so sweet and demure. The thought of her doing such matches surprised him. "So, your first WWE Championship."

He nodded. "It's a surreal feeling. I know it isn't the Big One, but I can't help but feel like it's just the start of things to come."

"It is," she replied with a smile. "Shane and I catch SmackDown every week. Half the time I'm backstage. You are really over with the fans." He nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen somebody so over.

"I'm going to be honest with you, John. Brock Lesnar leaving the WWE is probably the best thing to ever happen to you, and to SmackDown." He was surprised by her statement. "I know Vince is pissed about it, but it's good for you guys."

"How do you figure?"

"It gives you a chance to step it up. It gives you a chance to break into the main event tier. Vince had huge plans for Brock, and now everything's up in the air. It gives you guys a chance. I'd tell you to step it up, but I think you've got nothing but big things ahead."

He smiled. "Thanks." She leaned back in her chair.

"Word around here is you're a musician."

"If you consider rap music," he said with a laugh. Rinoa shook her head. He sighed. "Yeah, I've been working on an album for a little over a year now. It's what I do on my days off. Haven't missed a scheduled WWE appearance yet."

She smiled. "Will I get an advanced copy of your CD?"

He looked at her, surprised. "You would want one?"

"Of course. If it's anything like your entrance music, then it should be a good album." She smiled. "You going to leave us for music?"

"What? Nah," he said with a smile playing at his features. "Wrestling's in my blood. I couldn't leave this behind if I wanted to." She smiled.

"That's good to hear. I'm still reeling over losing the Rock to film." He laughed. She shook her head. "I see this company like a family, Cena. It's hard when they leave." He smiled.

"You seem like a very sincere person," he told her. "You been married to Shane O'Mac for long?"

"Three years in December," she replied with a smile. "Have you really had the chance to hang out with Shane?" John shook his head. "He's competitive." John laughed.

"What man isn't?"

"I don't think there's a Superstar on this roster who hasn't been given a case of alcohol poisoning from a night out with my husband." John laughed. "So how did you enjoy your first _ WrestleMania_?"

"It was probably the coolest moment of my life," he said, a wide smile unable to leave his features. "Just to take in the magnitude of the event, and the fans, and the fact that it's MSG...it's huge. It just doesn't get any bigger." She smiled.

"I'll agree with you there," she answered. "Every time I step foot in Madison Square Garden, it's just overwhelming. Three generations of the McMahon family have promoted sports events at this arena...and when Vince steps down, Shane and Stephanie are going to make four." John smiled.

"This place is rich with wrestling history," John agreed. "I hear a lot about you backstage. It's nice to finally really talk to you."

"Oh, Lord...I can only imagine what's said about me," she laughed. John shook his head.

"Randy Orton sings your praises like you're an angel. You're the only woman I've ever seen that he hasn't completely made an ass out of himself in front of." She laughed.

"Vince knows I'm close with Randy, so unfortunately, when Randy messes up, I'm the one who gets to wear the hard hat." John chuckled. "It hurts me more than it hurts him." She stood to her feet. "Look, Shane and some of the guys are going out to have a few drinks tonight and unwind after _WrestleMania..."_

"That's what Eddie was saying," John told her. She smiled.

"You should go. Have fun with some of the guys. My husband is a huge fan of yours; I'm sure he'd like to get the chance to get to know you just a little bit." John shook his head.

"I don't know about that."

"Come on, Cena. Take my word for it. The guys would love to have you out there."

"You're not coming out?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I am just dead exhausted. You men are so lucky you don't have to worry about getting pregnant." John laughed.

"Yeah, we dodged that bullet." She shook her head, unable to keep the smile from her face.

"Go on out with the guys. If Shane said you didn't come out, I might have to take the matter to Taker and Bradshaw." John laughed. "Taker loves me...don't doubt what I'm saying."

He shook his head. "I don't doubt it. I'll head out at the end of the night with the guys."

She checked her watch. "I should get going. I want to see Shane before he goes out for the night." She extended her hand. "It was nice meeting you, John. Congratulations. It only gets bigger from here."

"Thank you, Rinoa. Congratulations on your pregnancy."

"Thank you." With that, she disappeared from the locker room to track down her husband. He smiled. He could see what Randy Orton had been telling him. She just seemed too sweet for words.


	6. Rolling Towards Backlash

**Chapter Six: Rolling Towards Backlash**

"Ugh...Dad, you are not asking me to do this."

"I am, Rinoa," he told her with a self-satisfied smile. "The Diva Search contestants that are coming within the next few months could learn a few things from you."

"Dad, don't even utter my name in the same sentence as these women," she said with a shake of her head. "Bunch of bulimic Barbies with implants." Vince chuckled.

"Hormones acting up again?" he asked. Normally she was a little more veiled with her distaste in some people. "Are you sure you don't want time off, Rinoa? I could put you on maternity early. Just say the word." Rinoa shook her head. She was starting to show just a little bit; a small, firm bubble on her stomach. She was still getting sick; only not half as much as she had been a month before.

"I'm fine, Dad," she assured him. She shook her head. "I just don't understand why you're making me help you dilute the Diva talent pool." He laughed.

"Me-ow, Rinoa. Put your claws back in."

"Well – look at this one. 'Any interesting talents'? And she answered..." Rinoa blushed. "I'm not going to read what she answered, but I'll tell you she must have perfected it at a lot of rest stops on I-5." Vince laughed. Rinoa sighed. "Dad, I'm serious! What in the hell are you doing? We have enough useless women here. What do you think we're paying Terri for?" Vince laughed.

"You're on a roll today," Vince said, shaking his head. "Do you think you'll be able to keep Orton in check?"

"I'm not his mother, Vince. I can only do so much," she answered. "If you're so worried about the potential sexual harassment lawsuits, then I'd make the Divas sign a waiver."

"What for?"

"So they can't say anything to the guys. If anything happens as a result, they broke the agreement and you're in the clear." Vince laughed.

"Oddly enough, that sounds like a great idea," he told her. She shook her head.

"Most of these women are going to come in thinking that some of these guys can get them a spot, or just looking for a hot roll in the hay with a big name."

"That's a generalization..."

"Did you want to read Bambi's profile for yourself?" Vince laughed. Rinoa sighed. "You're hopeless." Vince laughed.

"Rinoa, take a break," he laughed. "Go see your husband." She nodded and stood. She needed to go to the bathroom anyways.

"Noa! Hey – you all right? You look pretty agitated."

"Diva Search applications with your father," Rinoa replied. He laughed. "If I have to read 'I can do this thing with my tongue' under hidden talents one more time, I'm going to fucking kill somebody." Shane laughed, but he could see she was serious. He hugged her close.

"Take it easy, Noa," he said with a soft laugh. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired, Shane-O," she said. "I'm getting all sorts of sleep and I feel like I just haven't gotten any sleep at all." He stroked her hair, his hand going to her stomach.

"You're starting to show a little bit," he told her, feeling the firmness of her stomach. He couldn't wait until she was further along and had that radiant glow that he had heard so much about.

"Shane?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't want you to talk to the Diva Search women...they're sluts." Shane laughed. "I'm serious."

"Do I detect a note of jealousy?"

"No...I'm scared if you step within a foot of them you're going to catch something." Shane laughed harder, resting his head on top of Rinoa's. "I'm serious. Do they think they're being sexy? They come off as sluts." Shane nodded.

"Yeah, they do," he agreed. "I'm so glad I didn't marry a slut." She chuckled. "Do you want to get out of here early? I can just give the order to Dad and we'll be on our way."

She shook her head. "I'll be okay. I don't know...my patience just feels so thin right now."

"I've read that's natural, honey."

"I feel like a raving bitch."

"But you're a beautiful raving bitch." She laughed and hugged him tightly. "Noa?"

"Yeah?"

"I can't wait to be a father," he told her sheepishly, not releasing his grasp from around her waist. She felt the tears sting behind her eyes and she stood in the middle of the arena hallway, hugging him tightly. She hated the fact that she was so emotional as a result of being pregnant, but Shane always seemed to know the right thing to say. He always made her feel beautiful, always made her feel better when her moods would swing one way or the other. He pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes before giving her a sweet kiss. "Come on. I'll talk to Dad and we'll go back to the hotel. We need some time to ourselves anyways." Rinoa nodded and she made her way to the Divas locker room to gather her things while Shane went and talked to his father.

"Dad?"

"You're coming to ask to leave early, huh?" he asked, staring up at his son.

"Noa's a tad slight emotional at the moment." Vince nodded.

"I gather that much. She's pretty venomous about these Diva Search contestants."

"I've noticed," Shane replied with a laugh. "If you think she's not pleased about it, just imagine the other Divas." Vince nodded. "Anyways, I'll see you tomorrow night for SmackDown."

"Yeah. Just go be with your wife, Shane."

"Thanks, Dad." With that, Shane was gone. Vince sighed, looking at the thousands of applications on his desk. For the most part, Rinoa was right. There were a lot of tramps, and he couldn't help but wonder if these women were for real writing these kinds of things on their application. But she had made a valid point. He was going to need to do something to make sure that nobody caused any problems for the company.


	7. Backlash 2004

**Chapter Seven: Backlash**

"Just simmer down, Randall. I know it's hard, but just let them do their job."

Randy was standing in the middle of the trainer's room, covered from his torso to his legs in thumbtacks. Rinoa felt terrible for him. She was helping a few of the trainer's pull thumbtacks out of his body. At Randy's request, they were keeping the thumbtacks in a container for him. His adrenaline was coursing and he was having a hard time coming down from it. He was itching to move around, but he had to stay still to let everybody get the thumbtacks out.

"Was it a good match?" Randy asked. Rinoa flashed him a reassuring smile as she pulled a thumbtack out of his chest. It had been thirty-five minutes of sheer brutality, but to be in the ring with Mick Foley showed a lot of potential for his career.

"It was a great match, Randy," she told him, grabbing a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a cloth. "You really held your own out there. Everyone's very impressed." She soaked the cloth in rubbing alcohol and began rubbing it over him. He sucked in a breath and hissed, trying to move away. "Don't be a wimp, Orton. I'd hate for these marks to get infected. It's bad enough your 'pretty boy' features are going to be scarred up tomorrow night on _Raw._" The doors opened and Ric Flair trudged in with Batista.

"My God, boy, what a fucking match!" Ric bellowed in a way that was characteristically Ric Flair. Rinoa flashed the guys a smile as they began applauding Randy, who was blushing. "How amazing was that? When you went down on the thumbtacks...Randy, you are a tough son of a bitch!"

"Thanks, Ric," Randy laughed. Ric made his way over to Rinoa and gave her a hug. His hand went down to her stomach and felt the growing bump.

"How's the little one today?"

"I haven't been sick today, so I think that's a great sign," she replied. "I still have a ways to go, but Shane seems to think that I'm just the most beautiful woman in the world right now."

"Oh, he thinks you're beautiful all around," Batista chuckled, leaning against the trainer's table. "The way he talks about you, one would think you're a hybrid of a goddess and an angel." Rinoa laughed, feeling the blush crawl up her neck towards her cheeks. Ric nodded.

"We all know that he's not the only one who thinks it here," Ric said. "Everyone here sings your praises, Rinoa."

"Have you and Shane thought about names yet?" Batista asked. Rinoa laughed.

"Shane and I can't agree on anything at the moment," she admitted sheepishly.

"Are you going to find out what you're having?" Batista asked. She cocked an eyebrow.

"Is it possible to know first time around?" she asked.

"Oh yeah," Ric replied. "My daughter did."

Rinoa shook her head. "I think the first time around, I'd like to be surprised. Shane's hoping for a boy, I'm hoping for a girl, but I know either way we're going to be so happy when the little one finally arrives."

"Vince and Linda must be overjoyed," Randy replied as the trainers began pulling thumbtacks out of his legs. Randy was curious as to how many thumbtacks were in him.

"They're ecstatic. So are my parents," she replied. "They're all looking forward to becoming grandparents for the first time. And Stephanie is just going to be an amazing aunt. She said that she's going to help me decorate a nursery in a few months."

"What color are you thinking of doing, since you don't know?"

"Well, blue is a bit more of a unisex color than pink, but I was thinking a nice mint green." The guys nodded in agreement. "I don't know why they call it morning sickness though. It seems like I'm sick all the time. I'm on a diet of crackers and water because everything just comes up."

"When my ex got pregnant," Batista began, "there was a period of time when she couldn't handle the smell of cooking meat. That's probably a big heads up that I can give you." She laughed.

"Way ahead of you there," she laughed. "Shane made spaghetti and meatballs the other night and I thought I was going to die I was so sick. I've been craving a lot of healthy foods and a lot of Twizzlers – red, not black. Shane must think I'm merciless when it comes to the licorice. He tried to steal one from me the other night and I just about bit his hands off." The guys laughed at the image.

"How have your moods been?" Ric inquired. She shrugged.

"My patience seems to be a little thinner than I remember," she confessed. "It kind of scares me. If I don't have patience for the stuff that I used to do all the time, what makes me think I have the patience to have a kid?"

"Don't think of it like that," Randy replied, giving her a hug. His entire body was stinging from the thumbtacks and the rubbing alcohol. The adrenaline was finally winding down and he was starting to sting all over. "It's hormones, Rinoa; the baby is fucking with your system."

"It's normal. I don't think there's one woman out there who can say they didn't get moodswings while they were pregnant," Batista told her with a smile. "You're going to make a terrific mother. And Shane is going to be a great father. The way he acts now, you'd figure the kid was already here." She laughed.

"I know. He's so excited. The more excited he gets about it, the more excited I seem to be about it." She shook her head.

"How far along are you again?" Randy asked.

"I'm about four months," she replied. "I was two months along in February. I'm due September twenty-fifth, but something tells me this one will take his time." They laughed.

"The first one usually does," Batista replied. "You've got that pregnancy glow, though."

She laughed. "I don't know about a glow. I'm probably so pale from being so sick all the time. It's been nice the last couple days; I haven't been as sick. Shane tells me all the time that he feels so bad when I get sick. He's definitely got a cast-iron stomach; he's always with me while I'm heaving up my lungs."

"He loves you so much," Ric said with a smile crossing his features. Rinoa smiled.

"I love him just as much, so I guess it balances out." Dr. Rios handed Randy the container with the thumbtacks and they all left the locker room.

Shane found his wife at the end of the night in the Evolution locker room with Randy Orton, Batista and Ric Flair. His eyes narrowed as he saw the champagne glass in her hand. "Noa?"

"Lighten up, Shane-O," Ric laughed, slapping him on the back. "Do you really think we'd let a pregnant woman drink? It's sparkling apple juice. Non-alcoholic. She's celebrating with us over Randy's hellacious victory tonight. Come on, Shane-O. Have a drink with us." Hunter was getting checked out; he had hurt his arm during his triple threat match with Shawn Michaels and Chris Benoit. Shane sighed and nodded, a smile crossing his features.

"You know I'll go for a drink."

"Great." Ric clapped his hands together, and a young brunette handed a drink to Shane. Shane took a sip and took his seat on the couch beside his wife.

"How are you feeling, beautiful?" he murmured softly, kissing the side of her head.

"Fine. We've all just been hanging out, watching Randy get the thumbtacks pulled out of him. I swear, he must have had at least two hundred tacks in his body."

"Well, Foley always asks for ten thousand tacks, so it wouldn't surprise me if the number was higher," Shane replied. Randy shuddered at the thought. "It was a hell of a match, Orton. I see a lot of big things ahead for you." Rinoa noticed a look cross Batista's features. She knew Shane hadn't meant it to put Batista out, but it had stung the big guy nonetheless.

"You're doing big things with Edge right now," Rinoa said to Batista with a smile. "I have to admit it, Evolution has been an incredible ride." Batista nodded.

"We get to ride with the two greatest wrestlers in our business," Randy replied with a smile. "And the coolest thing is that Hunter picked the two of us." Batista nodded.

"That's the most flattering part. Hunter wants to set us up to lead the business when guys like Ric and Hunter step back." Rinoa smiled. The two men had such kind words for Hunter and Ric, and she knew that Hunter and Ric were two of the best guys to lead them along. Even if their bad habits were wearing off on the men.

Rinoa took a sip of her drink. "So what's next for Evolution?" Rinoa asked. Hunter smiled.

"I think it's just back to me and Shawn Michaels," Hunter replied. "They want to put some new guy with Chris."

"I'm still dominating the Intercontinental division," Randy replied with an arrogant smirk. Rinoa shook her head and smiled. Randy was confident with everything he had accomplished since joining WWE two years before. Rinoa thought everyone in Evolution had a reason to be arrogant. They had all accomplished so much in such a short time.

Rinoa started feeling a tad nauseous. She set her glass down and excused herself, taking off into the bathroom. The guys could hear her heaving.

"Is she going to be all right?" Randy asked. It didn't sound healthy. Shane nodded and put his glass down, standing to his feet.

"She'll be all right. This pregnancy has made her sicker than I ever thought possible." He looked at Batista. "Dave, can you go get some soda crackers and some water from catering. She's going to need something to settle her stomach." Batista nodded and stood to his feet, making his way out of the room. Shane knocked on the door gently and made his way inside. Rinoa was throwing up, her entire body convulsing with each heave. Shane pulled her hair out of her face.

"It's okay, hon," he soothed, stroking her back. She flushed and leaned back.

"I feel like I'm dying," she murmured, curling her head into Shane's chest. There was a knock on the door and Evolution crowded into the bathroom. Dave handed Shane a water bottle and a package of saltine crackers. The guys all crouched down to inspect her.

"You all right, beautiful?" Randy asked, a small smile tugging at his features. She nodded.

"I'm okay. This is normal," she replied. "I do this at least three to four times a day." She took a sip of water, keeping her head burrowed in Shane's chest.

"We sure dodged a bullet, didn't we?" Randy teased. Rinoa brought her foot out and kicked his shin. "Ow! What's with the hostility, Rinoa?" She laughed. Randy flashed her a smile.

"How about you two head back to the hotel?" Hunter said. "We'll party up enough for you and Rinoa." Shane laughed.

"If Steph calls me to bail you out of jail, I am so not doing it," Shane replied. Hunter laughed.

"I'll remember that, McMahon," Hunter taunted. "You put Ric over here to shame." Rinoa laughed and Shane blushed. They made their way to their feet.

"You got three guys with you that I'm sure will bail you out," Shane replied. Randy shook his head.

"Forget that. We'll all be beside him going, 'Man, we fucked up good'." They all erupted into laughter as Rinoa said goodbye to Evolution. They all wished her the best and told her to feel better before she and Shane left the locker room.


	8. The United States Champion

John Cena was pissed off.

Since taking over as the General Manager of _SmackDown_, Kurt Angle had been going out of his way to make his life difficult. With an aggravated sigh, John dropped his US Championship on a nearby steel chair. "Stupid son of a bitch," he murmured, dropping into another chair and undoing his laces. "Stupid fucking douchebag," he added.

"I have this feeling that you're angry at Kurt Angle."

John jumped, startled. Rinoa flinched, a reactionary movement. His shoulders slumped and he shook his head, a smirk tugging at the right corner of his mouth. "I'm sorry. You probably don't want to hear me bitching about Kurt Angle." She laughed.

"On the contrary," she told him. "I think he's a…" She caught herself, but the look in her eyes told him that their opinions weren't too far off. She was dressed in a pair of black slacks and a white T-shirt that showed off only the littlest amount of cleavage. Her hair was tied back in a layered ponytail.

"What brings you to _SmackDown_, Mrs. McMahon?"

"Rinoa, Cena. Jesus…Mrs. McMahon makes me sound like my mother-in-law," she said with a laugh. She sat down on the bench, leaning back into a cubby. "I'm just here to oversee some _SmackDown _related web content for Shane. He's currently in Malaysia trying to work through the censorship stuff so he can get a distribution deal over there."

"That sounds like fun," John snorted.

"He seems to enjoy it," Rinoa replied. "I think he just needs a break from me. I've been a real spaz lately. How's your knee doing? You've been taking it as easy as you can, right?"

"My knee's fine," he told her with a shrug. Just then, the door to his locker room opened and Kurt Angle wheeled in. John saw Rinoa visibly flinch at Kurt's presence. His face darkened; there was something in Rinoa's eyes that confirmed his suspicions that something had happened between the two of them. It was nothing good by the look on Rinoa's face. Of course he'd heard stories, but he didn't know which ones were true.

"What do you want, Lumpy?" Cena asked, shaking his head in disgust. Paul Heyman had quit after being drafted to _Raw _in March, just after _WrestleMania XX_. Rinoa could have stepped in, but she had no desire to oversee the show, especially since she was pregnant. So Kurt Angle had stepped in, only to be injured less than a month later by an irate Big Show. Rinoa hated to say it out loud, but she didn't think what happened to Kurt could have happened to a more deserving person. If she said it out loud, she probably would have felt like a terrible human being.

Kurt ignored Cena, his steel blue eyes resting in Rinoa, the object of his affection for years. "Hello, Rinoa. I heard you were here. Welcome to _SmackDown_. Congratulations on your pregnancy. You look…_radiant_."

"Go to Hell," Cena heard Rinoa murmur under his breath.

"This is my locker room, Lumpy. Unless you have a point to make, do us all a favor and tip your ass out the door. I'm sure Mrs. McMahon would be happy to assist me if you refuse." Kurt flashed Rinoa a smile that made her sick to her stomach. She was sure it wasn't the morning sickness that made her feel dirty and disgusting.

"Stay the hell away from my niece, Cena. That's what I'm here to tell you." Rinoa's eyes widened and she shot a look of pure disbelief at John Cena, who shrugged, a grin spreading across his face.

"Man, now I know you done went and lost your mind," Cena laughed. "If that's all this is about, then get the fuck out."

"This is my locker room," Kurt sneered. Rinoa cleared her throat.

"Um, technically, this is _my _locker room."

"Who says?" he sneered. Rinoa flashed him her wedding ring. Kurt's face contorted into an ugly snarl.

"Things could have been different between the two of us, Noa," he told her. Rinoa ignored the instant wave of nausea that rippled through her as she recalled the night he had attacked her in her own home.

"If you don't get out, Mr. Angle, I will file a complaint with Mr. McMahon regarding your harassing behavior, a motion that I am sure will be backed up by Mr. Cena, Ms. Wilson and Mr. Guerrero." Kurt's eyes snapped to Cena, whose jaw was clenched so tight Rinoa thought it would shatter. He looked like he was ready to brawl with Kurt. He didn't make a move, instead just nodding in agreement with Kurt, who scoffed and had his right-hand man Luther Reigns wheel him out of the room.

"This isn't over!" Kurt shouted as he left. Luther slammed the door for dramatic effect.

"You couldn't be more wrong," Rinoa replied serenely. John noticed her hands were shaking. A jolt rippled through her stomach that caused her to double over. Cena was instantly concerned, holding onto her shoulders.

"Rinoa, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Cena," she assured him. There were tears forming in her eyes. He hugged her.

"I'm sorry if this is over the line," he told her. "But you look like you could use a hug."

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything," he told her. "What do you need?"

"Can you go get Taker for me?" Cena gulped. Taker seemed to dismiss Cena as a snot-nosed rookie. If there was anybody he wanted to like him, it was the Undertaker, an undeniable legend in the locker room and in the ring. He pushed his apprehension aside.

"Sure. You just wait here," he told her softly. He sat her down and left his locker room. She was trembling, recalling what he had said. _Things could have been different between us_.

* * *

"What the fuck do you want?"

Taker stared at the nervous Superstar in front of him. "Well…cat got your tongue, boy?"

"Look, Deadman, you know I wouldn't be here if it weren't important," Cena assured him.

"Cut the bullshit and spit it out."

"Noa's in my locker room. Something just happened with her and Kurt Angle and now she's asking for you…"

"What? What the fuck happened?" Taker left his locker room in a flash, Cena struggling to keep up with him. "You better give me some details."

"He came in to mouth off to me, but he saw Rinoa…he said something really weird to her. It seemed to deflate her. I've never seen her so upset in all the time that I've known her." Taker stopped and turned to Cena.

"Think real carefully. What did he say to her?"

"He told her things could have been different between the two of them…The second he walked into the room, I thought there was something shady between the two of them. You can see it in her eyes. It's so obvious something happened between the two of them."

"It was before you got here."

"How serious was it?" Cena asked. "I mean, you don't have to drop all the gory details, but how bad are we talking? What's the severity level?"

"Very severe," Taker told him, moving towards Cena's locker room. They walked in. The second Rinoa saw Taker, she rushed into his arms.

"What are you doing here, Noa? You didn't say anything about coming out."

"I'm doing some web stuff for Shane while he's over in Malaysia," Rinoa told him.

"Shane was okay with you coming here?"

"We both knew there was going to be a risk because he was running things, but I was hoping I could make it the whole night without seeing him," she confessed. She shuddered and he hugged her tighter.

"Some assholes never learn," Taker murmured under his breath. "Cena, stay with Noa for a few minutes. I got to go handle some business." Cena nodded and Taker kissed Rinoa's forehead. It was strictly a paternal gesture in Cena's eyes. "I'll be right back." She nodded and he left. Rinoa sat down, putting her head in her hands.

"Let's not tell my husband about all this chaos, all right?" she said with a laugh.

"You don't have to tell me, but if you don't mind me asking, what happened between the two of you?" she asked. She thought about it for a few moments, trying to figure out how to answer his question without telling him too much. She was sure he had heard the stories. They had been floating around the locker room for years, most of them untrue and very obviously made up.

"Let's just say he is very lucky to still have a job. He crossed the line in the worst possible way," she told him. Cena had a vague idea of what happened, of which version of the story was true. He put Kurt's words and Rinoa's reactions together and he felt sick to his stomach.

"Jesus Christ, Rinoa…"

"So, Kurt's niece, huh?" she said with a laugh. He smiled. "I met her at _Survivor Series_. She's a pretty girl."

"Arista is great. We're just doing the friends with benefits thing," he confessed. "We're trying to keep it hushed because we know how Lumpy is going to take it. He thinks I'm going to collapse civilization with my shorts and my padlock."

"It's fraudulent self-righteousness," she told him. "Trust me, I know."

"Don't hold back, Noa. Tell us how you really feel," he teased. She shook her head and looked at the door.

"Taker is going to kill him. He warned him the last time."


	9. Judgment Day 2004

**Chapter Nine: Judgment Day 2004**

Rinoa had never seen that much blood in her life. Shane was at the table beside Eddie Guerrero, talking to JBL while he was getting stitched up. She was with Eddie Guerrero, who was fading in and out of shock. He had lost so much blood, it wouldn't have surprised Rinoa if he had needed a transfusion. Eddie was looking at his hands, clenching his fingers together; his pupils wide and dilated. There was a four inch gash across his head that had to be at least four inches deep. It seemed like it. She had seen and been a part of some brutal matches, but she had never seen that kind of blood.

"Eddie..." The trainers were trying to get him to form a coherent sentence, but he could barely speak above a mumble. It had been one of the most brutal matches in recent history, even though it was just a standard match. She had never seen a chairshot split somebody open so badly. And Eddie had still carried on for about a half hour. Bleeding everywhere as he proceeded to beat JBL from pillar to post. She could only imagine the grin on Kurt Angle's face at the carnage; he created so much trouble for Eddie Guerrero backstage. Eddie was still the Champion though; and if there was anything Rinoa loved, it was when people stuck it to Kurt Angle.

The door to the trainer's room opened and John Cena walked in. "How is he, Doc?"

"He went into shock for a little bit there," Ferdinand replied. Rinoa was holding a blood soaked white towel to Eddie's head in hopes of stopping the bleeding. John made his way over to Rinoa and looked down at Eddie, whose eyes were darting frantically about.

"You good, Eddie?"

"Nothing a few stitches can't cure, homes," Eddie replied, a small grin tugging at his features. "I guess we both stuck it to Angle tonight." Cena and Rinoa chuckled. Shane left JBL and took his place beside Rinoa.

"Hey, Shane."

"Cena." Shane and Cena had started forming a friendship as a result of Rinoa including Cena so much. It was good for him; a lot of the guys backstage took issue with Cena's thuggish appearance. Rinoa couldn't understand why they were so focused on his appearance, and the fact that he listened to hip-hop. Rinoa's experiences with him were that he was a fun-loving guy who looked after the locker room like a hawk. He wasn't afraid of failure; he wasn't afraid of looking like an idiot. Rinoa understood why Vince's faith in him was unshakeable.

_Judgment Day_ had been an exercise in Kurt Angle flexing his power. He had changed Torrie Wilson's match at the last minute, telling her if Dawn Marie defeated her, she'd be fired. Torrie had managed to pull out a victory, but it was obvious that she was visibly shaken throughout the match. Rinoa had watched the match in disgust at the fact that Kurt was still holding a grudge over his fall. It wasn't Torrie's fault. But she wasn't about to go talk to him about that.

Kurt Angle was going out of his way to ignore Rinoa now, and she couldn't help but wonder just what Taker had said to him. He had probably knocked out Luther Reigns and had asked him to remember the beating he had received at the hands of Taker. As much as Rinoa had tried keeping it a secret, Taker had told Shane, who had understandably gone into a panic. She wasn't worried though; she had a lot of people who watched her back with no problem in the WWE locker room.

_Bad Blood_ was the following month, and they were finally going to blow off the Triple H-Shawn Michaels feud. Inside of a Hell in a Cell, but Rinoa was sure the fans were relieved it was coming to an end. It had gone on for so long that some people were getting tired of it.

"Are you guys going to rush Eddie to the hospital?" Rinoa asked. Dr. Rios shook his head.

"He's rooming with Chavo, so he said he's going to keep an eye out on Eddie." Rinoa nodded.

"Glad to hear that. Is he good to go?"

"Not until Chavo gets here."

"I wanna go," Eddie murmured. Rinoa looked up at Cena.

"Way ahead of you. I'm off to get Chavito." Cena disappeared from the locker room, while Shane and Rinoa stayed with Eddie. Dr. Rios instructed Rinoa to remove the towel and she did.

"Don't you ever get in the way of a JBL chairshot again," Rinoa chastised gently. "I don't know if I like seeing you like this." Eddie chuckled.

"You worry too much, mamacita." Rinoa smiled.

"Someone has to worry about you while Vickie's at home." Eddie chuckled and stood shakily to his feet. Rinoa and Shane were making sure he was on his feet as Chavo rushed in with John Cena.

"You all right, Uncle Eddie?"

"Fine, Chavito, fine," Eddie insisted. "Just a little light in the head." Chavo took over supporting Eddie from Rinoa and Shane and they all bid each other goodnight as Eddie helped Chavo out. Cena sighed.

"Damn. That was a hell of a chairshot." Rinoa nodded.

"I'm just glad he's okay. That could have been so dangerous." Cena nodded. "We're just going to have to be thankful he's stitched up and delirious and not needing a blood transfusion with a third degree concussion." Shane shook his head; it was a grim perspective; but it was the cost of having this life. Shane draped his arm around Rinoa and they bid Cena goodbye.

"A lot of people do this when they're pregnant," Shane told her. Rinoa was reluctant.

"I don't know. Are you sure it's not going to hurt the baby?"

"It's not going to hurt the baby," he said, nuzzling her neck. She giggled. She definitely was a little bit frustrated; with everything going on within the company and being pregnant, she hadn't really thought about being intimate with Shane. And Shane, to his credit hadn't complained. She was more affectionate as a result of the pregnancy though; and being surprisingly more forward than she had ever been. She captured Shane's lips with hers and after that they were lost in one another.


	10. Diva's Day Out

**Chapter Ten: Diva's Day Out**

Rinoa, Trish Stratus and Victoria were sitting in hairdresser's chairs beside each other, talking and giggling as the hairdresser's played with their hair. Trish and Victoria had decided that Rinoa needed a day to herself, to feel beautiful and just have fun. Shane was busy taking care of some things at the arena; and had excused the Divas to be late at the arena as a result.

"I really wonder what Kane wants with Lita," Victoria said as the woman began applying the red streaks to Victoria's raven hair.

"I don't know," Trish replied, "but it's creepy just thinking about it." Rinoa nodded. "I heard Matt Hardy's none too happy about it."

"Well, what chances does Matt Hardy have against Kane?" Victoria asked. Rinoa rolled her eyes.

"About the same chances as my husband." Trish smirked. The hairdresser began cutting and layering Trish's hair.

"Have you thought about names yet?" Victoria asked. She contemplated it for a second.

"Shane wants the name Aaron. I want the name Christian." She shook her head. "I told you guys, Shane and I are so not agreeing on anything right now." The hairdresser worked on layering Rinoa's hair. "How does it feel to walk on the other side, girls?"

"I love being a bitch," Trish replied. The girls laughed.

"I'm with Trish. I prefer people hating me. You don't have to work as hard." The girls laughed. "Have you thought about what's going to happen to your career now that you're entering mommyhood?"

"I guess retirement," Rinoa replied. "Do something like the Rock, where I come back to do an angle here and there, but you know...I'm going to become a parent. I don't know if I want to be traveling around and dropping my kid off from home to home." The girls nodded. "I'd sacrifice for this business, but kids are my responsibility. I just can't pass them off for the next person to take care of." Trish and Victoria nodded.

"I understand that. We're sure going to miss you in the locker room when the time comes though." Rinoa nodded.

"I'll miss you guys, too," she replied. "I can't wait to have this thing though. I don't know if I can handle the moodswings much longer." The girls laughed. "Shane must think I'm just the worst kind of person."

"No," Victoria replied. "I don't think anybody could ever think that of you." She sighed. "You're going to make a terrific mother, Rinoa. You're like Superwoman." Rinoa laughed.

"It comes with the McMahon name," she replied with a shake of her head. "You can never do just one thing in the family; they've always got you running around." She smiled. "I don't mind it; but it sure is enough to keep you busy. I've learned so much about what goes into this business since I've married Shane and I love being behind the scenes as much as I love being in front of the people."

Victoria was waiting for her streaks to set, her hair adorned in foil settings. The hairdresser was working on Trish's bangs. The hairdresser was working on thinning Rinoa's hair. "Do you and Shane have any plans after the show tonight?" Trish asked. Rinoa shook her head.

"Pregnancy tires you out fast," she told her. "I haven't had a night out in ages because I'm always so damn tired."

"You're starting to glow though. Just think...within the next four months you're due." Rinoa nodded.

"I know. I have a lot more expanding to do," she said, looking down at her ever-expanding stomach. The girls laughed. "Shane still insists I'm beautiful," she told them with an incredulous shake of her head. "I don't know how he can find it attractive when my feet swell, when I'm throwing up a lung, when I'm roaring and snapping at him to get me food."

"How's the Twizzler cravings?" Victoria asked. Rinoa rolled her eyes.

"Don't ask. I think Shane has finally come to terms with the loss of his fingers." The Divas laughed. Rinoa shook her head. "He's been surprisingly supportive despite my ranting and my raving and my lack of patience." The girls smiled.

"So have you thought of a baby shower yet?" Trish asked. Rinoa shook her head.

"I haven't really thought much of anything. Shane and I are in the process of moving. Not to mention, in the process of setting up a nursery."

"What color are you doing it?"

"Mint green. Pink and blue is just too specific, and we're keeping it a surprise." The girls nodded. "Shane and I have been picking out cribs and paint samples and stuffed animals. My mom is knitting a baby blanket." The girls smiled.

"It's going to look great. You're going to take a lot of pictures right?" Trish lived in Canada and Victoria lived in Louisville, Kentucky, where she had moved when she had started working at Ohio Valley Wrestling.

"Of course," Rinoa replied.

"When do you go on maternity?" Trish inquired. Rinoa sighed.

"Next month. I guess I'm not supposed to be on flights at six months or something. Something about giving birth prematurely. So I'll have to sit at home and unpack while Shane is off and about."

"Do you have an emergency thing set up in the event that Shane is off and traveling when you pop?" Victoria asked. Rinoa nodded.

"Of course," she replied. "I think Stephanie was talking about taking some time off and coming to stay with me while I wait out the last couple months. Mom and Dad are so busy with the business that they can't really take time off and wait for me to pop."

"Well, what about Stephanie?"

"She's creative, so Dad's going to let her do it from home. Take the weekly meetings over the phone when she's filling in for Shane. Feels great to be under surveillance." The Divas laughed as Victoria was led to the sink to wash out the streaks. Trish and Rinoa's hair were finished. They stood and went to pay.

"How have you been feeling otherwise?" Trish asked.

"Not too bad. I can't wait till I'm so big that it's an adventure to sit and stand, and I don't walk, I waddle." Trish giggled as she paid the receptionist. "I've been so lucky that Shane's been keeping me feeling beautiful. Some days it's so hard watching my stomach expand and I just feel so terrible."

"It's natural, Noa," Trish replied as Rinoa handed the receptionist her debit card. "But I think Shane would love you if you were a thousand pounds."

"Well, that's nice and all, but I don't want to get big enough to test the theory out," she replied. Trish laughed.

"What are you thinking about career-wise?"

"Part time like Shane. I don't really think I could ever just walk away from the business," Rinoa replied. "I love the competition too much to just walk away from the ring." Trish nodded. "I'm so scared of delivering this thing, though."

"You doing it naturally or by C-section?"

"I'm going to try and do the natural thing, and leave the C-section to emergency. I mean; you've got medical degrees; you know how much longer it takes to bounce back from a C-section. Does a McMahon really have that kind of time to waste?" Trish laughed.

"I guess not." They looked over at Victoria getting her hair rinsed out. "She's not done yet?"

"Calm down, Trish. You guys aren't facing fines or anything for being late."

"I know...still doesn't mean I like being late." Rinoa nodded; she felt the same way. She rested a hand on her expanding stomach. She couldn't wait until she finally delivered the little one.


	11. Moving Day

**Chapter Eleven: Moving Day**

It was a two story white house that sat on a sprawling emerald lawn on the outskirts of Manhattan. Shane and Rinoa had picked it out while Shane had some downtime from traveling. Most of the stuff was moved in, boxes cluttering the living room, the furniture already set up. They had taken some time off to unpack. The sickness had faded; now Rinoa was just tempted to eat everything in sight. She was sitting in the mint green nursery while Shane set up the crib, gnawing on a red Twizzler as she started setting up the stuffed animals in the room.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. She flashed him a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine. I'm kind of tired, though." He nodded; the further on she got, the more tired she seemed to get. He thought the more it went on, the more rejuvenated she'd become, but it just wasn't the case.

"Do you want to go take a nap?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I'll be fine, Shane-O," she assured him. He stood up and made sure the crib was stable. She took her place beside him and he draped an arm around her shoulder. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Can you believe this is happening?" He kissed the side of her head.

"I can't wait until you have him."

"Her."

"Sure." Rinoa and Shane caught eyes and they both laughed.

"You look so beautiful," he told her, hugging her close. "You up for going out tonight?"

"Where?"

"I don't know. I thought I'd take my beautiful wife out to dinner." He kissed the top of her head. "I mean, what's the point of having a beautiful wife if you can't show her off once in a while." Rinoa laughed.

"I feel like a blimp." Shane chuckled.

"Noa, you are not. You're just a little pregnant." She laughed, staring around the room. She was overwhelmed. She was going to have Shane's baby in the fall, they were moving into a new house and it seemed like everything was falling into place, or moving too fast, she couldn't determine which. Shane sensed it and kissed her forehead. "You're going to be an amazing mother," Shane informed her, a soft smile crossing his features. "You need to quit worrying about it so much."

"You're going to be a great father, Shane," she replied, hugging him. It was hard to hug him with her stomach protruding; she couldn't get as close as she would have liked to. He sensed that, but didn't say anything, just hugged her close. "I think I could use dinner though," she confessed. "I'll dig up something a little more presentable and we'll go out." He looked at his wife, dressed in her sweats. Shane shook his head.

"Nah, you're fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Anyone else has a problem with it, tell them to deal with it." She laughed. Shane knew she was comfortable in her sweats at the moment and he didn't want her to sacrifice that just so he could take her out. At the moment, he was all about keeping her comfortable. He knew that with her stomach expanding so much, it was becoming harder for her to move, to sleep, to do anything. And it was hard for her not being able to fit into her usual clothing anymore. He just wanted to keep her happy.

When they returned at the end of the night, Rinoa was exhausted. Shane could tell she was exhausted in the car, watching the way her eyes would struggle to stay open and the way her breathing became slow and even. He had put a comforting hand on her knee and she had watched him drive all the way home, wordless.

Inside, they moved around the boxes. Most of the house was unpacked; but there were still a few things that had to be taken care of that could wait until morning. She and Shane went upstairs, her head resting against his shoulder.

The new bedroom was spacious; with white carpet, white walls and sheer blue curtains over the window. There was a beautiful breeze coming through the slightly open window. Shane was thankful it was summer; Rinoa was having difficulties being comfortable with room temperature and was severely uncomfortable at night while she tried to sleep. If it were any colder, Shane would have had to complain about the window being open all the time.

Rinoa went to her dresser and dug up a nightgown. She sighed; she wasn't really fitting in any of her clothing anymore. She looked in the mirror above the dresser and stood to her side. Her stomach was bloating out; her breasts had gotten bigger; something that Shane was more than happy with. She wondered if she was even going to fit in the nightgown again after she had the baby.

"Fuck it," she murmured, tossing the nightgown on top of the dresser. Shane stared at her from the bed.

"What's the matter, beautiful?"

"I don't even want to bother trying the nightgown on," she replied. "I'll just get more depressed if it doesn't fit." Shane couldn't help it, but a smirk crossed his features. She pulled off her shirt. Shane laid back on the bed, watching his wife. He didn't think it was possible, but he thought she looked absolutely gorgeous pregnant. Her skin seemed to have this glow to it, and knowing full well she had their child growing inside of her made him love her all the more.

She sat down on the bed and pulled off her sweats, leaving them on the floor. She climbed under the blanket and curled up in a ball. Shane lay down beside her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "I love you, Noa."

"I love you, too, Shane-O," she replied. Her eyes closed and she let out a sigh of relief when she felt his lips on her neck and his fingers rubbing on her belly. His fingers moving over her stomach were soothing. Shane smiled.

"Did you just feel him kick?"

"Of course I did, Shane. He's kicking me." Shane chuckled and placed his palm over her stomach, waiting for him to kick again. He kissed her neck again and a wide smile crossed his face when he felt the kick against his hand again. "Noa, this is amazing."

"For you, maybe. It feels like he's crushing my bladder." She rolled onto her back and sighed. She had a hard time sleeping on her back; but she knew she had to now.

"You all right, hon?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "I just can't get comfortable." Shane propped up a few pillows for her and she readjusted, resting part of her head on his shoulder. He put his hand on her stomach and kissed her forehead.

"Better?"

"As better as it's going to be," she grumbled. He rested his head against her shoulder. "I can't wait until this _thing_ is out of me." Shane laughed.

"You're still beautiful, Noa."

"I look like a beached whale," she mumbled. He shook his head; she was hopeless. Shane kept his hand on her stomach as he drifted off into sleep. But Rinoa wasn't falling asleep. She only watched her husband, trying to keep him comfortable while struggling with being uncomfortable. She was starting to get nervous. If she was so moody and so self-conscious, was she really going to make a great parent?


	12. SummerSlam 2004

_**Author's Note: Since we're guaranteed Shane O'Mac for a few weeks, my muses are in full force. How awesome did he look on Monday? There's going to be a time gap now, from June-August.**_

**Chapter Twelve: SummerSlam 2004**

Shane stood backstage at the Air Canada Center in Toronto, going over a few last minute things with the production team. Trish Stratus, Jazz, Nidia, Stacy Keibler, Gail Kim, Molly Holly and Victoria were all at a nearby arena where the Toronto Raptors train, to take on the last of the Diva Search finalists in a game of Dodgeball. He wanted to make sure that nothing glitched when showtime hit.

SummerSlam was shaping up to be a big night in a lot of people's careers. The company being angry at Brock Lesnar's departure had become Randy Orton's gain, as the company was going to put the World Heavyweight Championship onto Randy Orton, having him defeat Chris Benoit. It was going to lead to Randy breaking out on his own, although he would lose the championship the following month to Triple H. The plans were more or less set in stone. Randy knew the deal, but was still ecstatic to hold the title.

John Cena had the best of five series going on with Booker T for the United States Championship, while newly active, former General Manager Kurt Angle was taking on Eddie Guerrero. Matt Hardy was fighting to free Lita from Kane's clutches, and Edge, Chris Jericho and Batista were all getting ready to tangle for the Intercontinental Championship.

"Yo, Shane, can we talk for a minute?"

Shane turned around to see John Cena and nodded. "Sure thing." He turned back to the production assistant. "Is everything good?"

"It's great, Mr. McMahon..."

"Please. Mr. McMahon is my dad." The technician nodded and disappeared while Shane turned his attention to the former United States Champion. "What can I do for you, Cena?"

"I wanted to see how the wife was doing. I heard you guys had a scare the other day." Shane nodded; a few days before, Rinoa thought she was going into labor. They had rushed to the hospital, only to find it had been a false alarm. Shane was on edge being away from her, in another country, knowing she could have the child at any time. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Fine. Noa's doing all right, too. Thank God it was a false alarm. She's still trying to prepare herself for the entire delivery process. She won't say it, but I know it's scaring her to death."

"She's having it naturally?"

"Yeah. Unless something goes out of left field wrong."

"She's not cleared to travel, is she?"

"Not on flights she's not." John nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"I've heard there's some rumblings going on back here with the Divas wanting to see her. Just curious." Shane nodded.

"I know. I'm going crazy not having her around," Shane admitted, running a hand through his hair. "And I know she's going crazy with Stephanie. Steph's so excited that she's smothering my wife." John nodded.

"Just wait until Rinoa decides to bring the little one on the road. She'll be lucky she has room to breathe." Shane nodded. "You coming out tonight? Orton, Eddie and I are all going to go party with Torrie, Trish and Stacy." Shane shook his head.

"Probably not. I'd like to keep as much distance between myself and Keibler as possible."

"Keibler, too?" Shane nodded. "What did I miss?"

"Not a whole hell of a lot, man. But just know that Stacy Keibler's done a lot of terrible shit to my wife." John nodded.

"If you change your mind, you know where we'll be, right?"

"No. But I'm sure Orton will let it slip at the end of the night." Cena chuckled and nodded.

"If you hear from the wife, let her know we all miss her here."

"I'll do that." They slapped hands and hugged before separating.

"Shane-O! Shane O'Mac, how are ya!"

Shane's shoulder slumped and he turned as JBL approached him, a wide smile on his face. The man was already in his ring gear, with a black jacket zipped up and a white towel around his neck. He slapped Shane hard on the back, smiling when Shane flinched from the shot. "You comin' drinking with the boys tonight?"

"Not tonight. I got an early flight to California in the morning. Shows don't set up themselves, you know."

"Wife's got you whipped?" Shane scoffed.

"Please. Rinoa is fine with me having a guy's night out. I'm just too busy right now for it. Plus, I wouldn't mind being at home to give her a call before she falls asleep." JBL nodded. "Good luck on your match with the Deadman tonight." JBL nodded and Shane went to track his father down.

Vince McMahon was sitting in his makeshift office, getting ready to enjoy a good night of wrestling. His head perked up when he heard a knock on the door and Shane walked in. "Hey, Shane O," Vince said as Shane sat down on the couch in the office. "How's your night going?"

"Fine. The guys all want me to go drinking with them."

"Are you?"

"Nah. I really would like to call Rinoa before it becomes waking her up. Poor woman needs all the sleep she can get."

"I remember when your mother was pregnant with you. The lack of sleep made her moody. How's Rinoa been?"

"Moody. But she's usually the first to apologize. You know, like it's her fault the baby won't let her sleep." Shane shook his head. "She's so scared to have natural delivery, Dad, and I don't really know what I can do to make her feel better about it."

"Because there isn't really anything you can do or say to make her feel better about it, other than just be there for her whenever she needs you," Vince told him. "Shane, have you been sleeping?" Shane shook his head.

"I've been up with Noa. She feels bad about it, but like I'm going to let her stir in discomfort alone." Vince smiled; Shane was still so very much in love with Rinoa, which was so refreshing in this day and age. "The guys want me to go drinking, but you know, I'm sure Rinoa would appreciate me calling _before _she falls asleep."

"How is she feeling?"

"All right. Her self esteem has really taken a hit since she got pregnant. She keeps referring to herself as a 'whale', a 'blimp' and keeps telling me she's fat. She treats me like I'm insane when I tell her it's not true, and that she's beautiful." Vince smiled.

"It's her hormones, Shane."

"I know. It just bothers me listening to her run herself down some days." Vince smiled.

"I have to admit, the backstage area sure hasn't been the same without her." Shane nodded.

"I know. Every time I run into somebody, or they stop me, it's about how Rinoa's doing; how she's feeling, when she's coming back on the road. You know, stuff I have no answers for." Vince laughed. Shane shook his head, a wide smirk crossing his features. "My wife is so much more popular than me." Vince laughed, taking his place on the couch beside his son to watch the show.

Rinoa couldn't sleep. It was becoming a more frequent habit. She could never sleep with the baby kicking at her stomach and with her stomach protruding. She missed sleeping on her side, she missed curling up with Shane.

She was due in a little over a month, but she was going insane. She just wanted to deliver the baby and be done with it.

SummerSlam had ended a few hours ago, and Rinoa had called Randy to congratulate him on his championship win. They all knew it was just a transitional thing, but she knew that Randy worked hard to even be considered for the championship. She had to let him know that she was proud of him. Randy was still overwrought and emotional about his win. She had hung up after talking to John Cena as well, and had tried to settle down to get some rest.

The phone rang on the nightstand and she smiled. She knew it had to be Shane. He hadn't called yet. "Hello?"

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Fine. Your sister finally went to bed." Shane laughed. "She's been driving me crazy. I'm pregnant; I'm not an invalid!" She rested her head back against the pillow. "I miss you, you know."

"That's great to hear," he chuckled. "I miss you, too. I'll be home tomorrow night after Raw. How's the baby doing?"

"I've been half expecting to go into labor after that little scare. But she seems to be doing all right."

"She?" Shane inquired. "I thought we settled this. We're having a boy."

"Keep dreaming, McMahon." They both laughed. "I wish you were here."

"I wish you were here, too. I don't like being so far away from you with the baby so close." She smiled. "I have this awful fear of not being there when you go into labor."

"Didn't Dad give you time off?"

"Yeah, but it's not for another week and a half. With the way the baby's acting, who knows?" She smiled.

"I'll try to keep him in there until you get time off, all right?"

"Promise?"

"I promise, Shane." She looked at the clock. It was after midnight. "I should let you go get some sleep. I should try to get some sleep too. Steph will be up at the crack of dawn to make sure my water hasn't broken." Shane chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow night, so you can get your sister out of my hair."

"I'll see you tomorrow. And then we're going out for dinner."

"Shane..." She was self-conscious about being out of the house while pregnant.

"No way. Not getting out of it, Noa. I let you do that last time. This time, we're going to have a nice night out before the baby comes." She sighed. "All right?"

She sighed. "All right, Shane." She smiled; her husband was just too sweet for words. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Goodbye." She hung up the phone and rested her head back against the pillow. She couldn't wait until he went on his paternity leave. With the baby so close, she just wanted Shane around her all the time.


	13. Home Sweet Home

**Chapter Thirteen: Home Sweet Home**

Shane was impatient as the police took down information. He was sitting on the back step of the ambulance as the medical technicians shined a light in his eye to check for a concussion. When she was satisfied that he was fine, she shut off the small flashlight and shouted the information to her colleague, who was checking the woman from the other vehicle. He shouted back that she was fine as well.

Shane sighed in irritation. The car accident had been her fault. She had sped down the roads as if somebody was chasing her and had rear ended Shane. He rubbed the back of his neck. He had hit the steering wheel hard, but not hard enough to be injured too badly. The back end of the car was totaled and the tow truck was working on hitching it up and getting it out of the area. The road had been shut down; Shane could see pieces of tail light down the road.

"Mr. McMahon?"

Shane looked up to meet eyes with a female officer; a middle aged blonde with a nametag that read Porter. "Yeah?"

"We should probably take you to the hospital and get your neck checked." Shane shook his head.

"If it's all the same, Ma'am, I'd really much rather just go home."

"But your neck...you've been rubbing it like crazy for fifteen minutes."

"If it bothers me tomorrow, I'll go to the hospital. Right now, I'd really rather get home to my wife." The officer cocked an eyebrow.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll see what I can do." She made her way over to her male counterpart and they began to talk, their eyes consistently going back to Shane, who was still trying to rub the pain out of his neck. After a few minutes of talking with the girl and talking with the other officer, she made her way back to Shane.

"How far away from home are you?"

"I'm only a ten minute drive," Shane confessed. His nerves were fried. A red-eye flight followed by a car accident by a careless driver...it had taken Shane everything he had not to lose his temper with the young teenage driver. It was his full intention to let her have it, but when he realized she was just a kid and still new to driving...his demeanor had softened. She was so panicked about being in her first car accident, that he had wound up helping her through everything while they waited for the ambulance and the police. But it had slipped his mind to call the house. Now, with the organized chaos of insurance information, police statements and ambulance attendance, he just wanted to go home and lay down with Rinoa, and not let her out of his sight until he had to leave again. He knew that Rinoa and Stephanie could use a break from one another; the moodswings were wearing on Stephanie, and Stephanie doting on Rinoa was bothering her.

Porter sighed. "Get in the car, and I'll drive you back to your home, sir." Shane nodded and stood to his feet, moving his head from side to side to try and work the tension out.

"Thank you," Shane replied. The officer nodded as Shane went to the awaiting car.

Stephanie's lips pursed into a thin line. Rinoa had been asleep for awhile. Where the hell was her brother? He had called Rinoa from the airport to say that he was boarding his flight and would be home soon, but that was several hours ago. He should have been home by now. Stephanie loved her brother, and knew he was safe behind the wheel...but the dark thoughts were crossing her mind. Was her brother okay? She was worried about having to explain to Rinoa in the morning that Shane hadn't come home.

"In a rush to get home to the wife?" Porter's partner, a stocky man whose nametag read Griffin, asked. Shane nodded.

"She's due to give birth next month," Shane confessed, "but she's been having some false alarms lately." The officers nodded.

"You really oughta get your neck checked out," Porter confessed. Shane shook his head.

"I'll do it in the morning. My sister's watching over my wife, and the two of them I think are starting to get sick of one another." They laughed.

"You look familiar," Griffin replied. "You on TV?"

"Somewhat," Shane confessed.

"McMahon...yeah...that's right. Your dad owns the WWF, doesn't he?"

"WWE," Shane corrected. The officer nodded.

"That's right. I haven't watched in years. I'm more of a UFC guy." Shane nodded; that didn't surprise him. Ultimate Fighting Championship had been gaining a lot of momentum in the past year. "I think the last time I watched was when the Undertaker was after your sister." Shane nodded; he got these conversations a lot. With fans who had lost touch, but still remembered the Attitude Era. He just nodded along and answered whatever questions he was asked.

Stephanie was sitting on the couch, watching a repeat episode of _The Simpsons_ when she heard a car pull up in the driveway. Setting her tea down on the coffee table, she rushed to the window and peered out of the curtains to see Shane get out of a police car. She cocked an eyebrow and she made her way to the door, flinging it open and rushing outside.

"Shane, are you all right?" she asked as Shane rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fine. Where's Noa?"

"Sleeping. We've been waiting for hours. What happened? Why are you coming home in the back of a police car?"

"I was in a bit of a car accident, all right?" Shane's tone was a little irritated, but nothing that put Stephanie off. Her eyes widened.

"Jesus, Shane, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Steph. I got rear ended by some teenage driver. The car's completely trashed. You could see pieces of tail light all up the road. It's completely compressed." Stephanie sighed.

"Thank God you're all right. I was so worried. I didn't want to explain to Noa why you weren't home in the morning." Shane rolled his eyes.

"You worry too much, Steph," he told her, although the same thoughts had been going through his mind when the car had hit him. "I'm sorry it took me so long, but with the police and the ambulance...I just forgot to call. You can header to bed, sis, I'll go up and see Rinoa."

"Is it all right if I stay in the spare room tonight?" she asked. The revelation that he had been in a car accident had made her nervous to drive so late. Shane caught onto that and nodded.

"I'd prefer you did that and went home in the morning," Shane replied, taking off his black coat and hanging it in the closet. He took off his business blazer and hung it up as well, before making his way to the stairs. "Just give Hunter a call before you go to sleep and let him know you're here." She nodded and Shane disappeared up the stairs, undoing the buttons on his sleeves.

Rinoa was resting as comfortably as she could; her eyes closed, her breathing slow and even. She was dressed in a white nightgown that even in pregnancy was two sizes too big. Her hair, that had grown out in the last three months, was fanned out on the pillow. Shane unbuttoned his shirt and put it in the hamper, along with his pants. He made his way over to the bed and pulled back the blanket, settling in beside her. He felt his wife stir. _Shit_.

"Shane?" Her voice was soft, a murmur. She struggled to sit up and smiled when she saw Shane. Her eyes darted to the clock. "Did you just get in?"

"Long story," Shane replied. The nerves in his neck were screaming. "I meant to call, but I just lost track."

"What happened?"

He kissed her forehead. "I'll tell you in the morning. Just get yourself some rest." She wanted to keep pressing the issue, but she knew better. Shane looked absolutely exhausted. He rested his head on her breast and placed a hand on her stomach. "How's the little one?"

"Kicking up a storm," she confessed, running her fingers through Shane's hair. She felt him release a breath and could sense him closing his eyes. He fell asleep within minutes, exhausted by everything that had happened on the way home. Rinoa wondered if he had really slept in the last two days. She kept running her fingers through his hair, closing her eyes as she tried to allow sleep to overtake her.


	14. Surprises

**Chapter Fourteen: Surprises**

At Rinoa's insistence the week before, Shane had his neck checked out; he had twinged a few nerves in his neck, but it would heal with no problem. He felt terrible having Rinoa dote on him and his sore neck so much, but she had been insistent.

Shane decided to take Rinoa on the road with him when Raw emanated from North Carolina the following week. Rinoa had been reluctant; worried to travel, but Shane had insisted. It was his last night on Raw, and he'd serve out the last of his time before his paternity leave doing work in the Stamford offices.

Walking backstage, Rinoa felt self-conscious, dressed in a black flowing skirt and a black sweater, her hair brushed around her face stylishly. She gripped Shane's hand tightly, and he flashed her a reassuring smile before kissing the top of her head. "Are we stopping by Dad's office?" she asked.

He nodded. "I talked to Trish though, and she wanted me to make sure you stopped by the Divas locker room." She nodded and followed Shane down the hallway to the Divas locker room. He knocked on the door. "Stratus, it's Shane. You decent?" There was no response. Rinoa's face darkened.

"There's usually at least one Diva in there to answer," she said. She opened the door and walked into the dark room. Shane was behind her, running his hands along the wall for a light switch. He finally felt it and flipped the switch.

"Surprise!"

Rinoa's eyes widened as she saw Molly, Gail, Trish, Jazz, Victoria and Diva Search winner Christy Hemme applauding and shouting. The locker room was done up with pink and white balloons and baby blue streamers. "What is this?" Rinoa squealed.

"It's a baby shower," Christy shouted, jumping up and down in excitement. Trish and Rinoa exchanged a glance and bit the insides of their cheeks to keep from laughing. Trish made her way over to Rinoa and gave her a hug; the other Divas followed. Rinoa entered the room a little more and noticed Chris Jericho, Christian, Edge, Randy Orton, Batista, Triple H and Ric Flair standing in the room applauding as well.

"There's my favorite mother to be," Randy called out, rushing over to her and giving her the biggest hug he could muster. "How are you feeling, beautiful?"

"Like a blimp," she replied, hugging him back just as tightly. She pulled back and looked at the setup and laughed. "How long have you guys been planning this?"

"A while," Trish confessed, a smile on her face. She was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black halter top with rhinestones around the V-neck. Her bleached hair was back in a high ponytail. "We even got you presents...and snacks."

"Snacks?" Shane laughed.

"What's been the big craving?" Victoria asked. She was in her ring gear; a two pieced baby blue ensemble with a black bubble like design. Her raven hair was cascading down her face. "Red licorice," Rinoa confessed. Shane brushed softly past his wife and took his place with Chris Jericho and Christian.

"Have a seat, Rinoa," Molly told her. Rinoa nodded.

"I would love a seat," she replied. "My feet have been swelling up, and I feel like I'm waddling." The Divas laughed. She sat down; struggling a bit as she lowered herself onto the chair. The bigger she got, the harder she found it to get up and down.

"I heard you were in a wreck last week, McMahon," Batista replied, sipping on his drink. Shane stole a look at Triple H, knowing that he had been the one to let the cat out of the bag and nodded.

"Yeah. Just a bit of whiplash. I'm fine. The back end of the car was just totaled though." A low whistle escaped Randy's lips.

"You're lucky Rinoa wasn't in the car with you," he told Shane. He nodded, looking over at Rinoa, who was immersed in conversation with the other Divas. "Who hit you?"

"Some teenage driver who decided to use a semi-empty road as a drag strip," Shane replied. "The crash scared the hell out of her, though, so I couldn't really lose it on her."

"Yeah, you could have," Hunter replied with a smirk. "She's old enough to know better. It's not like a fucking eight year old was behind the wheel."

"How is the whiplash?"

"Fine. My neck seems to be feeling better. It flares up now and then, but the accident is still pretty fresh. You better believe I was careful all the way here with Rinoa in the car." The guys nodded. "When that driver hit me, the only thing I could think was what if Rinoa had been in the car? What if she had been hurt, you know?"

"If that's what you were thinking, then you have the patience of a fucking saint," Randy replied, taking a sip of his drink. "If that were me, and I had thought about that, I probably would have lost my shit."

"Like you did on Rochelle Loewen?"

Randy exhaled. "Have you told Noa about that?"

"Of course."

"Please tell me you told her the accurate version of events."

"I told her it was lotions and ointments, so just take it easy." Randy nodded. The stories that were going around was saying that it was way worse than ointments, and Randy didn't want Rinoa to think he'd be such an animal. He wouldn't admit it to anybody, but he really cared about what Rinoa thought.

"So how have you been feeling?"

"Everything's been swelling, and I miss sleeping on my stomach, and I'm always hungry. I feel like I'm hiding a bus," Rinoa replied. Her lower back was aching. The Divas had their hands on her stomach, hoping for a chance that the baby would kick. Their faces brightened when they felt the familiar feel of the kick against their hands.

"I think you're having a boy," Victoria said.

"Oh, God, go join Shane," Rinoa replied with a wave of her hand. The Divas laughed. Trish straightened her stance and clapped her hands.

"Okay, guys," Trish's soft voice echoed through the Divas locker room. Dave, Randy, Hunter, Ric and Shane turned to look at Trish and the Divas. "It's time for the presents."

"Presents?"

"Yes, there are presents," Trish replied. She grabbed a red box with a yellow bow on top and handed it to Rinoa.

"That's from me," Christy replied, a wide smile on her face. Rinoa wondered for a second if the woman ever frowned. Christy was dressed in an Orange County Choppers T-shirt modified into a halter top and green lowrise pants, her red hair held back with an orange bandana. A brief look of worry crossed her face. "I sure hope you don't have one of these yet."

"Probably not," Shane replied, "Outside of the big furniture and a few stuffed animals, Noa and I haven't had much time to shop for the essentials." The guys nodded; Dave and Ric understood how difficult it was to be there for a pregnancy and to find the time to do things to prepare for it when they were on the road for three hundred days a year.

Rinoa tore the paper off. It was a baby monitor. She flashed Christy a smile. "That's funny; Shane and I were talking about picking one of these up within the next couple days." Christy beamed wide. It was still obvious to Rinoa that Christy was trying to get over the stigma of being a Diva Search winner; a lot of the Divas were agitated over the contest. Christy kind of annoyed Rinoa with her bubbly, always happy attitude, but at the same time Rinoa was thankful that Christy had that demeanor when some of the girls got catty.

Victoria handed her a shimmering blue bag with baby blue and pink tissue. "This one's from me," she replied with an enormous smile crossing her features. Rinoa smiled and hugged Victoria before digging into the paper and pulling it out. Shane and Randy were getting themselves another drink, talking in hushed voices. Rinoa's eyebrow arched, but she maintained her banter with Trish and Molly. She wondered what Randy and Shane were talking about.

The Divas were out doing their segment, and Rinoa was standing with Randy Orton, who had just completed a segment earlier on in the night. He was supposed to be thrown out of the arena, but he was standing in his locker room, the World Heavyweight Championship slung over his left shoulder, dressed in tan slacks; the rest of his suit had been left on the entrance ramp when he had attempted to attack Evolution with a sledgehammer.

"Want to tell me what happened with the Diva Search reject?" she replied. Randy sighed; sometimes, he wished that she didn't watch him like a hawk.

"I lost my temper," he confessed, running a hand through his cropped brown hair. "I don't know how else to say it, Noa. I fucked up." She smiled reassuringly, and it told him she wasn't going to wear the hard hat. "I don't know what you read, but I didn't do _that_."

Rinoa laughed. "I believe you, Randy. I know a lot of people are going to write what they want on the Internet. They don't know you like I know you. You don't have to worry about that. But I did read you asked her out, and that's why this happened. So are things over with you and Sam? Did I miss out on the memo?"

"No, no," Randy assured her. "It's not like that. Samantha and I are still very much in love with one another. I don't know how the story came out that I even attempted anything with Rochelle Loewen, but that's not the case. She did try coming onto me; but it was such miniscule flirting that I wouldn't even think of it as a cause for what I did."

"Then what caused it? What made you lose your temper?"

He sighed, contemplating his answer. "It was clear she wasn't here because she loved the business, Noa. The woman can barely walk a straight line in her stilettos and she's here so she can get invited to a few parties and do a few photo shoots?"

Rinoa sighed. "Randy, you have to have faith in Vince. Everyone who doesn't love this business...it shows in their lack of in-ring ability. It shows in their attitude. And they all get weeded out at some point."

"I know, I know," he replied. "I...I just lost my head, all right?"

She nodded. "What was the punishment?"

"I got a fine and had to replace the bag."

"Oh."

"It was a Louis Vuitton." Randy's face contorted into a grimace. Rinoa laughed.

"I hope you learned your lesson from this, Randall." He cocked an eyebrow.

"I'd like to tell you that I have...but I think we both know it's not necessarily true." Rinoa laughed.

"I admire your honesty, Orton. Come here." She gave him a hug. It was difficult because her stomach was so big. He motioned for her to stay still for a second and went to his duffel bag.

"I didn't want to give this to you in front of the Divas, because that Christy Hemme is a bit of a gossip," Randy replied, digging through his things. He pulled out a little box and handed it to her. She looked up at him, eyebrow cocked. "I think after putting up with my shit for the last couple years, you deserve something nice."

She opened the box, and her eyes lit up. It was a dainty gold necklace, the charm being a small diamond encrusted angel. "Randy, I...I can't accept this," she said, her voice hitched in her throat. Randy took the box from her and pulled the necklace out.

"You can and you will," he informed her firmly, that elfish grin that she adored so much crossing his handsome features. "Shane helped me pick it out," he confessed. "I told him after everything I've made you deal with, you deserved something nice." He could see the tears welling up in her eyes. He made his way behind her. "Hold your hair up," he told her softly. She nodded and pulled her hair up with her hands as he put the necklace around her neck, clasping it on. She let her hair drop and her fingers ran over the angel. Randy hugged her close. "You're going to make a great mother, Rinoa."

"I don't know about that..."

"If you can deal with me, you can deal with anything," Randy told her with a chuckle. "Sometimes I think you have the patience of a fucking saint." She laughed, shaking her head.

"I just know you're still enjoying your youth," she replied with a smile. "No one can fault you for that." Randy looked at the clock.

"I have to get into my ring gear and help Eugene beat Triple H. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, you know it," she replied.

"I know this is probably the last time you're going to be traveling for awhile," he told her, "So I'll try to make my way out to come see you with Samantha when you have the baby."

"I would love that," she replied. "I don't get to see Samantha enough." He gave her another hug and she let herself out of his locker room. Her fingers were still on the angel. Randy always told his friends that Rinoa was his guardian angel, the voice of reason that kept Vince from firing him when he stepped out of line. So the charm's significance wasn't lost on her at all. But she was touched. She never thought that she had that much of an impact on Randy.

"Hey, beautiful."

She turned to see her husband and a smile crossed their faces. "He finally gave you the necklace, did he?"

"Yeah," she said, staring down at it. "He said you helped him pick it out."

"Yeah," Shane confessed. "He said he was no good with this sort of thing, but he really wanted to give you something for having to put up with him all the time." She smiled and her husband draped his arm around her shoulders.

"How was meeting with Dad?"

"Fine, fine. How was your time with the Divas?"

"Exhausting. That Christy Hemme just babbles." Shane laughed. He kissed the top of her head. "She's one of the rare people that I've met who can actually change conversation topics mid-letter." Shane laughed.

"She's probably happy that you're being nice to her; I heard the Divas haven't been so receptive to the Diva Search."

"Hey, let's not get things twisted here, Shane-O. I'm against the contest too." He smiled.

"I know. But you're a McMahon. Now you _have_ to be professional." She laughed as the two of them exited out the back door, looking forward to getting back to the hotel and getting a good night's rest.


	15. Sisterly Bonding

**Chapter Fifteen: Sisterly Bonding**

With Rinoa seemingly a stone's throw away from going into labor and Shane finishing up his WWE duties that week, Stephanie found herself spending most of her days with Rinoa, trying to prepare her for delivery and to act as a ride to the hospital in the event she went into labor when Shane wasn't around. Rinoa wasn't about to admit it to anybody, especially the McMahon family, but she just wasn't ready to give birth. The prospect of natural delivery was scaring the hell out of her. Even when she thought she was ready, her mind would go into overdrive and scare her half to death. She was starting to think that opting for natural pregnancy was the stupidest thing she had done since joining WCW. The idea of pushing a child out was scaring her more and more; especially since she always seemed to find medical shows with horror stories of stitching and complications. Not only that, but it felt like she had ballooned out overnight into something huge and unrecognizeable. It was becoming harder for her to move around; she was struggling to sit down, to stand up, to lie down, to sleep. It was beginning to make her incredibly irritable, while Shane's compliments to her were beginning to feel worthless. She was sure he knew it, but at this point, she didn't care.

She was gnawing on a red Twizzler as Stephanie gushed over the finished nursery, a feat Shane had managed to accomplish between countless interviews, oversights and corporate meetings. It was the first time that Stephanie had seen it finished. She stood in the middle of the room, dressed down, out of her usual business attire, in a pair of faded blue jeans and an old Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley T-shirt, her hair back in a high ponytail. While marriage with Hunter was going extraordinarily well, Stephanie was already facing pressure to have kids, something that Rinoa sympathized with, enough to allow Stephanie to come over and vent when the frustration got to be too much. It reminded Rinoa of her early days with Shane, when she had received pressure from both sides. It had driven her half-insane, and it had become even harder for her to take when it seemed like she couldn't get pregnant.

"Noa, it looks beautiful," Stephanie gushed, holding a mint green teddy bear in her hands.

"Shane did most of the work," Rinoa confessed, taking another bite of licorice. "I've been more or less useless. It feels like I swallowed a bus overnight." Stephanie smiled.

"Pregnancy has done wonders for you though," Stephanie replied. "You've been absolutely radiant."

"That's what Shane says," she replied. "He thinks I'm really sexy when I'm pregnant. I don't have the heart to tell him I'm capping it off at two kids." Stephanie laughed. "How's the harassment on your end? Died down any?" Stephanie's face said that it was still a hot topic within the McMahon-Helmsley family circle.

"I understand why it stressed you out so much now," Stephanie replied. "I'm too busy to even think about kids at the moment. Like that stops them from talking though. Between creative and Hunter and being on the road all the time...I mean, come on, how did you two even find the time to conceive?"

"We found the time," Rinoa replied. Stephanie shuddered at the awkward image. Rinoa shrugged. "You asked."

"Yeah, I know," she replied, raising her hands in mock surrender as she put the teddy bear back into the white rocking chair. Rinoa shook her head as Stephanie shuddered again. Stephanie was appreciating all the time that she was spending with her sister-in-law. She understood now why everybody sang her praises so highly. Rinoa never made her feel judged; and when things became hot tempered with Stephanie and the family, Rinoa always opened the doors for her with no questions asked. Rinoa always remained neutral on family matters, only offering friendly advice and lending a sympathetic ear. The onlyt ime she ever took sides was when she was backing her husband, which Stephanie thought was the way things should have been.

"How's Dad and Hunter?" Rinoa asked. Stephanie shrugged.

"Dad, Hunter and Ric are all in North Carolina, so I'm glad I'm not there tonight." Rinoa nodded; for a man being north of fifty, she was astounded that Ric could still party half as hard as he did. And remain such a consummate professional, even after all the partying. And Hunter and Vince were along for the ride, so she understood that it was better that Stephanie wasn't around for it.

"I'm glad Shane's not with them," Rinoa replied. "I could only envision us bailing them out of some jail or drunk tank." She shook her head. "Show is right about Shane, you know. The man could totally have fun in a prison camp." Stephanie nodded.

"He's definitely right about that," she said. "Shane O's always been that way though. Life of the party."

"Did you want to stay for dinner, Steph? Or are you in a rush to go home."

"You don't always have to feed me and whatnot, Rinoa. You do too much for me anyways."

"Don't think of it like that. I enjoy your company. Anyway, I could probably use the help making dinner. I don't walk anymore; I waddle."

Stephanie raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Shane doesn't help you?"

"Shane does a lot around here to alleviate things...But your brother...unless we all want to die of food poisoning, it's probably better that I cook." Stephanie nodded; he was getting better, but he was still the type that could burn water. All the years of traveling on the road and eating out made the lack of culinary skills a real possibility. Rinoa always told herself she would help him out when she had the chance, but the truth was, when did a McMahon have time for anything? She couldn't even remember the last time she and Shane had taken a vacation where the words "work", "Superstars", and "Divas" were not in their vocabulary.

"I hope my brother realizes he's going to have to take over for stuff, too," Stephanie said. "Feedings, etc."

"Shane's going to be a great dad, Steph."

"No argument there," she replied. "But I know he has a tendency to get so busy with work that he forgets about other things. I'd hate to see everything fall on your shoulders."

"This is the life we've chosen, Steph. We all sacrifice for this business. We raise them like we're single mothers most of the time. We just straighten our spines, pick up the cards we've been dealt, and hold down the fort while the men are off getting drunk with Ric Flair in a robe." Stephanie laughed. "Anyways, when the kid's old enough to travel, I'll have the little one spending summers on the road learning the ropes."

"Trish, Randy, Chris and Taker are going to love that. I can see it now."

"They're amazing people," Rinoa replied. "Even Randy, the little delinquent." Rinoa's hand went to the necklace around her neck. "No matter how much trouble that man steps into, I just can't be mad at him." Stephanie smiled.

"He flashes that elfish grin and those intense eyes and you go soft."

"Well...when you word it like that, you'd better not say anything to Shane," she said, laughing. "He's only two years younger than me, Steph. I feel like he's a little brother I have to watch out for. It's like paying it forward. You know, like Jericho did for me all those years ago."

"For the life of me, I don't know how you get along with that man," Stephanie replied. "He's an animal."

"A sexy beast, to be exact," Rinoa retorted. They burst into a fit of giggles as they left the nursery. The girls made their way into the kitchen when the phone started to ring.

"I'll get it," Stephanie replied, disappearing into the living room to grab the cordless as Rinoa grabbed another piece of licorice. Stephanie returned, with her hand covering the mouthpiece. "It's Shane." Rinoa swallowed her licorice and took the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Noa. Things going good with Steph?"

"Yeah. She's going to join us for dinner. You on your way home?"

"Actually, that's why I'm calling, beautiful. Dad needs me to stick around and do some last minute stuff for WWE Magazine to make sure it gets shipped out on time. I'm going to be a little late."

"How late...?"

"I'll probably be home by about eleven. If Steph wants to crash, the guest room is good to go."

"Okay; I'll let her know," Rinoa replied. The frustration was evident in her voice. Shane definitely picked up on it.

"I promise I'll make it up to you when I get home. Just think...as of tomorrow I'm a free man." Rinoa laughed. "I love your laugh. You don't do that enough lately. I'll see you when I get home, Noa. I love you."

"I love you, too, Shane." She hung up the phone and put it down on the counter.

"What's the matter?"

"Shane's not going to be joining us for dinner. Dad needs him to do some WWE Magazine work. Like Shane's plate isn't full enough." Rinoa bit her lip and sighed. "Sorry. That's not fair and I know it. Moodswing." She went to the fridge and opened it up. Stephanie smiled.

"What are you making for dinner?"

"I was planning on making a roast. I knew it would take a couple hours...but if Shane's going to be later than that, then we can just get started now."

"I'll start peeling potatoes," Stephanie replied. With Stephanie staying at the house so much, she knew the place inside and out. So Rinoa let her go about her own business while Rinoa set the oven.

Stephanie left the house at around nine-thirty to go home and Rinoa had settled on the couch to watch TV. By ten-thirty, she was dozed off, her head against the rest. She hated that she was barely able to see her feet anymore, and that she always seemed to feel tired. The sleep had consumed her so fast she didn't even know it had hit her.

Shane pulled into the driveway at ten forty-five, relieved that he had worked fast enough to get out early. Killing the ignition and watching the lights die against the garage, he climbed out of the car and rushed up the front steps, unlocking the door. The lights were off in the house, so he made an effort to be quiet, aware that Rinoa was probably sleeping. He closed the door and locked it quietly, turning to see Rinoa dead to the world on the couch. She looked so cute; he smiled as he slid his shoes off and hung his jacket on the rack. He went to the closet and got an extra blanket to drape over her. Wordlessly he settled it over her and slid under it with her, cradling her under his arm as he changed the TV channel. She didn't even stir.

He liked these moments; the moments where he could just reflect on everything his life had given him. He had a good life; he knew it. And things were better with Rinoa. He didn't even like recalling a time when she wasn't around. Her swollen stomach was visible under the blanket and he put his hand to it gently. He still hoped for a boy, but he knew Rinoa desperately wanted a girl. He would never admit this to Rinoa so close to delivery, but he was terrified to be a father. Parenting was such a trial and error process...he only hoped he was half as good as his parents were to him and Stephanie, and that he and Rinoa could make their marriage work despite anything that came at them down the line. If not for them, at least for the kids.


	16. Almost There

**Chapter Sixteen: Almost There**

Shane stirred in bed at the sound of the telephone ringing first thing on a brisk Friday morning September twentieth. Rinoa was fast asleep, her breathing soft and shallow, hands rested on her protruding stomach as she slept. Moving careful so not to wake her, Shane crept out of the bedroom to retrieve the phone from the living room.

"Shane O'Mac," he answered, suppressing a yawn.

"Hey, Shane-O." The familiar voice of his father on the end of the line was unmistakeable. "I need to ask you an enormous favor."

"What do you need?" he asked, a sinking feeling crawling into the pit of his stomach.

"I need you to come over here and show me a few things with your Malaysian presentation. Normally I'd ask you to fax it, but our machine's down until Monday. Michael says he can't find anything you did anywhere, and Ricky and Arn are set to take off for Malaysia in the morning."

"What?" Shane pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt a headache coming on and he was most definitely not happy with the new development.

"Shane, you know I wouldn't ask you otherwise, but Rick and Arn need to see everything you've done. They're on their way here now. Do you think you can make it here by lunch."

"Dad...I don't know if I should be leaving Rinoa alone. She's due to burst anytime. She's no good to travel...it's just taking too much out of her." He sighed; everything seemed to be taking a lot out of her these days.

"I'll call Stephanie and Hunter and get them to stay with her. Worst comes to worst, she'll only be alone for a couple of hours." Shane sighed; business always beckoned. He knew his father needed him. No matter how much he tried to take his paternity leave, it managed to drag him back in.

"Fine. But you owe me fucking huge, Dad."

"I know. I'll call Steph now."

The baby was moving more and more Rinoa found. The movements of her unborn child always felt strange. She was more or less housebound now, like some sort of agoraphobe, everybody now paranoid that her water was going to break in public or that she was going to be in an accident in the car. She was starting to feel like a prisoner, suffocated by everybody's overprotectiveness. Which was why she was so surprised that Shane was leaving her alone until Stephanie and Hunter arrived. She sighed; she seemed to be fighting with Shane more and more lately; her patience a lot thinner than she remembered. She understood his fear, but she felt like she was missing out on her life because she was pregnant, and she hated the feeling. He was the first to admit he was being overprotective, but now that delivery was so close, he was so afraid that something was going to go wrong. She understood his concern, but it didn't stop her from lashing out at him.

"Shane O?"

Shane looked up at his father. He hated being away from Rinoa for a second. He was distracted, everybody knew it and he was panicked knowing Stephanie and Hunter were running late, but she had called and promised she would be there in case anything happened. Shane was so thankful at the moment that his sister always seemed to have his back.

"Yeah, Dad, I'm fine," Shane replied, running a hand through his hair.

"You know I wouldn't have called you out here if it wasn't important."

"I know, I know," Shane replied, cutting his father off with a hand.

"Things okay between you two?" Ricky asked, noticing Shane's exhausted appearance.

"We've just been fighting a lot the last few days. She's terrified of giving birth, so she's lashing out. I should probably just take it, but...I don't know...my temper snaps back too."

"It's the Irish in you," Vince replied with a chuckle. "Look, if you feel so badly about it, then why not make it up to her when you get home tonight?"

"Because she'll probably rip my heart out," Shane replied. "The baby has to be coming soon. Her moods have just been so much worse lately. I didn't think it was possible." Vince laughed. "It's not funny, Dad. There's been a few nights where I seriously thought she was going to pack up and leave me."

"She's not going to leave you, Shane," Arn informed him. "You two have been through way too much shit for either of you to just walk. She knows that, even if her hormones are telling her different right now." Shane smiled.

"Oddly enough, Double A, that makes me feel better...somewhat."

"I've been told I have my moments," Arn replied. The three men settled down to go over the outline.

Stephanie McMahon sat in the passenger's seat, silently fuming at her husband in the driver's seat. Hunter didn't seem to care that his wife was staring daggers into the side of his head. "Oh, come on, Steph, would you lighten up? She's fine. And if she's mad, I got her a donut for a peace offering."

"You're so not funny," Stephanie retorted. "You just had to stop. God only knows what could be happening at the moment. She could pop at any time Hunter, have you ever thought about that?"

"I'm sorry, Steph...but a guy has got to eat. And even if she does magically go into labor...it'll be at least a few hours before she can even deliver the kid." He took a sip of water from his water bottle and put it back in the holder before the light turned green. Stephanie rolled her eyes and stared out the window. "Come on, Steph, you're not going to ignore me for the whole trip, are you?"

"We have to make sure she's all right, Hunter. Shane sounded pretty desperate on the phone." He had phoned her on the road while he was on his way. Stephanie couldn't believe that he hadn't taken Rinoa with her, but he had been treating her like a prisoner with his overprotectiveness. Since his car accident, he had been excessively paranoid to even have Rinoa in the car. Stephanie was flabbergasted that her father had even made the request.

"He sounds desperate because he hasn't been sleeping; just bickering with Rinoa." Stephanie nodded. He had told her last night about their latest fight and it had been pretty emotional from what she could tell. They had both been in tears, which told Stephanie it was serious. The last time she had seen Shane break down and cry was when Kurt Angle had attacked Rinoa three years prior. "She's busting his balls big time," Hunter continued, "It's natural he starts losing it."

"She's scared Hunter, and with her hormones...I can't say I blame her for being on edge. Once she has the baby, I imagine things are going to be better." She pulled out her cellphone.

"Calling Noa?"

"Yeah. I just want to let her know that we'll be there in ten and make sure she's been okay." She waited as the phone rang two, three, four times, and then finally the answering machine clicked on. She hung up and tried again. The answering machine picked up again. Stephanie's face darkened.

"No answer?"

"Evidently not," she replied, frustrated. "Think you can speed up a bit, babe?"

"Would you lighten up? The girl is probably in the shower?"

"For once, Hunter, could you just shut up and humor me? And speed up?" With a sigh and a nod, Hunter pressed his foot to the gas.

The front door was locked, but Stephanie found the spare key under the mailbox that Shane left for her. She had been out of the car almost as soon as Hunter had turned onto the block, leaving him to park the car. She unlocked the door and burst inside. "Noa! Rinoa!" she shouted through the seemingly empty house as Hunter made his way inside. They could hear her cries from upstairs, loud and clear as a bell.

"Help! Oh, God, help me!"

In a flash, Hunter and Stephanie were racing their way up the stairs, Hunter taking the steps two at a time. Stephanie went to open the bathroom door, but the door was locked. "Noa, honey," Stephanie called, "Can you open the door?" She was only greeted with the sound of more crying.

"Stand back, babe," Hunter replied, ushering Stephanie to the side. With a well placed kick, the door flew open and their jaws dropped to see Rinoa down on the white tile, semi-wrapped in a towel. They saw blood and water on the floor and they were around her in an instant.

"Rinoa...Noa...what happened?"

"I slipped...fell...my water broke...the baby's coming," Rinoa cried, her body seizing with a contraction.

"Fuck. We need to get her to the hospital," Hunter stated, his eyes widened with urgency. "Rinoa, we have to get you dressed. Can you stand?" She shook her head.

"It hurts so much..." she sobbed.

"Did your water break in the shower?" Stephanie asked. Rinoa's hair was dry; she had obviously been laying there for awhile. Rinoa shook her head.

"No. When I slipped." Stephanie looked at the blood on the floor and silently prayed that nothing had happened to her new niece or nephew. "Fuck. Do you have a hospital bag, Noa?"

She nodded. "In the bedroom..." She burst into tears. "God...you guys are angels, you know that?" Stephanie flashed her a reassuring smile, stroking her hair reassuringly as Hunter went to get some clothing for his sister-in-law and load the bag into the trunk while Stephanie began to time the contractions. He tossed a nightgown to Stephanie, who helped Rinoa sit up and slid the gown over her head. Another contraction hit Rinoa and she sobbed out. Hunter was back in a flash, and the two of them helped get Rinoa into Hunter's arms, taking her downstairs and putting her in the back of the car. Stephanie had gathered a few towels and had laid them down in the backseat. Stephanie and Hunter were both worried they weren't going to make it to the hospital.

_"Here comes the money...here comes the money..."_

Arn and Ricky shot a look at Shane, who shrugged it off. A lot of people were put off by the fact that he had his own entrance music as a ringtone; he didn't care. It was catchy. He flipped the phone open.

"Shane O'Mac."

"Shane, we have a huge fucking problem."

"Steph?" It sounded like she was still on the road. He felt a pang of irritation. "Where are you?"

"On the road. Rinoa slipped getting out of the shower and induced labor." She opted not to say anything to Shane about the blood; she didn't want to terrify him. "We're on our way to the hospital. Get Mom and Dad and get them here...Hurry...I don't know how long she's going to be in labor for."

"Fuck." He hung up and was on his feet in a flash, grabbing his jacket. "Mom! Mom! Get your coat!" He shouted. Vince stood to his feet as Arn and Ricky watched in curiosity."Shane, what is it?" Vince asked.

"Noa slipped. The baby's coming. We have to go!"


	17. Introducing

**Chapter Seventeen: Introducing...**

Shane slammed his fist hard down on the steering wheel, trying to take deep breaths to calm down. He was so close to the hospital, having done a hundred and sixty the whole way. But he had been intercepted doing excessive speeds in a school zone. To make matters worse, the police officer was taking his sweet time making his way over to Shane's car pulled over on the side of the road. Vince and Linda were also in the car, just as frazzled as their son. Shane rolled down the window as the officer peered inside.

"Do you have any idea how fast you were going, son?" the officer asked.

"Look, I don't have time for this," Shane spat, flustered. "My wife is in labor...I need to get to the hospital!"

"Okay. Follow me." The officer jogged back to the car and peeled onto the road. Shane started the car, jammed his foot on the gas and followed in close pursuit.

"Where the fuck is my brother?" Stephanie shouted in frustration. They were prepping Rinoa for an emergency C-section because they couldn't figure out how to stop the bleeding. They also weren't reading a heartbeat and were afraid that the baby had gone into cardiac arrest. Rinoa was in tears, drifting in and out of consciousness...asking where her husband was. Stephanie had no answer for her.

"He'll be here, Stephanie. Trust me. There is no way in the world Shane could miss this."

"He's about to, Hunter! It's not like she's about to birth naturally! They're about to fucking cut her open!" Stephanie ran a hand through her hair. "She needs him right now."

"Look, you go in there and stay with Rinoa. I'll start scouting the building for any sign of Shane and the inlaws. But you're right - she needs someone. So go." Stephanie nodded and burst into the delivery room.

"Shane...where's Shane?" Rinoa asked, the tears streaming from her face. She was terrified; they hadn't told her anything, but she had heard. They couldn't find a heartbeat. Now they were preparing to go in invasively and try to save the baby. She had never been so scared in her life, and the only thing she wanted was her husband.

"He'll be here, honey. Are you all right?"

"I hope the fall didn't kill the baby...Steph...what if it did?" she said, the tears streaming down her face. Stephanie brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

"Just take it easy, Noa," she replied. "Everything is going to be fine, all right? Don't think like that. I know it's hard, Noa, but you need to stay positive right now, okay?" She nodded. Stephanie turned to the doctor. "How long before you get him out?"

"We're going to start making the incision in a minute or two," he said from the sink. Stephanie bit her lower lip. Where in the hell was her brother?

"Where the fuck have you been?!" Hunter shouted as Shane burst out of the elevator.

"Shut up, Hunter. Where's my wife?"

"In there," Hunter said, motioning to the door. Vince and Linda approached. Shane went to rush in, but Hunter stopped him. "You need to know, dude...it doesn't look good."

"What? What do you mean?"

"They haven't been able to stop the bleeding...they haven't been able to register a heartbeat either. They're going in for a C-section to see if they can save the baby that way because they can't wait for her to dilate."

"Fuck." Shane burst through the doors.

"Shane!" Rinoa cried as he made his way over to her. Stephanie shot him a glare, but Shane wasn't paying attention. He was stroking Rinoa's hair. He gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"It's going to be okay, Noa."

"You the father?" The doctor inquired. Shane nodded.

"Please tell me everything's going to be okay," Shane said.

"Well, that's what we're aiming for," the doctor told him. Shane held his wife's hand and kissed her forehead as the doctor made the first incision.

"You okay, Hunter?"

Hunter looked up as Vince handed him a cup of tea. Hunter took a sip and grimaced; it tasted like normal hot water. "Yeah..." Hunter said, staring at the door to the delivery room. Shane and Stephanie were inside, helping Rinoa through what was a tough delivery. "The day's just been a lot to take in."

"It's a good thing you got there when you did," Linda replied.

"When my niece or nephew arrive healthy, we'll decide it's good," Hunter grumbled, taking another sip and grimacing.

"It'll all be okay," Linda replied, staring at the delivery room door before turning her attention to Hunter. "With everything they've been through...at least one thing has to go right."

The doors opened and Stephanie burst out, looking absolutely frazzled. The McMahons stood to their feet and rushed Stephanie.

"What's happening? Where's Shane?"

"Shane's in there with Noa," Stephanie replied. "She lost a fair amount of blood, but it has something to do with her uterus in the fall. They're just closing her up now."

"And the baby...?" Vince asked. Stephanie smiled sadly. The door burst open and Shane emerged, a wide smile on his face.

"It's a boy!" he shouted. Everybody rushed Shane, hugging him and offering congratulatory statements.

"How is Rinoa?" Vince asked.

"She's fine. Calm now," Shane confessed. "The baby wasn't breathing when he came out. They had to do a heart massage or some shit...it was so scary...and then he cried...." Vince gave his son a bear hug.

"Congratulations, Shane O," Vince said, a wide smile on his face. "You got a name for my grandson yet?"

"Um...no...Noa and I haven't agreed on one yet." Vince smiled and slapped his son on the back.

"Long day, Shane?" Hunter asked. Shane nodded.

"You don't know the half of it. Anyways, I'm going to go back in there and check up on my wife. Steph, can you get me a coffee, please? I'm ready to just pass out." Stephanie nodded and she and Hunter made their way towards the elevator. Shane disappeared back into the delivery room. Linda rested her head on Vince's shoulder.

"Thank God everything's okay," she replied. "I don't know what would have happened..."

"I know," he replied, hugging his wife closer. "But everything's good...we've got ourselves a grandson."


	18. Precious Moments

**I am so, so sorry for the lack of updates, guys. Truthfully, I've been writing up a storm on the next installment of the Rinoa/Shane saga, which is definitely going to be huge. **

**Chapter Eighteen: Precious Moments**

Rinoa was fast asleep when Pete and Catherine Fielder arrived that night to meet their grandson for the first time. They entered the hospital and found Shane, Stephanie and Hunter still there sipping on hospital coffee, Linda and Vince having long since gone home, exhausted from the events of the day.

Shane stood as his in-laws approached. "We got on the first flight out," Catherine replied. "How is my baby?"

"Noa's doing fine, Mom. Sleeping. She's had quite the day." They all exchanged hugs. The McMahon family was exhausted from the long day they'd had, but they knew better than to admit it. "They were worried that they were going to have to do a hysterectomy from the bleeding, but the ablasion they did seemed to stop the bleeding." They breathed a sigh of relief. Shane had felt the same way. But he was definitely worried about having another child after this.

"Can we see our grandchild?" Pete asked.

"Sure," Shane replied. "Follow me." He led them down a hallway to a big window. He knocked softly on the glass. A young redheaded nurse looked over at the crowd on the other side of the window. "McMahon," he said, a wide smile on his face. Stephanie draped an arm around Shane, while Hunter and Pete gave Shane a congratulatory slap on the back. The nurse brought the little bundle in blue over to the window and they all fawned over the new addition to the McMahon family.

Rinoa woke up the following morning to the sound of crying and excited chatter. She felt several jolts of pain course through her, but she managed to sit up slowly. She felt much better than she did the day before, but her body was still a touch sore from everything that had gone on, on top of the childbirth. She didn't remember much after he had come out. As a matter of fact, she didn't remember much of the night before, she had been so sedated. She remembered that she had cried in relief when she had realized that he was all right, and nothing had gone wrong as a result of her accident. Taking in her surroundings, she saw her parents and fawning over her son. A smile crossed her face and they turned to her.

"Rinoa, honey, you're awake," he said, making his way over to her with the baby. He put the little one in her arms and she stared down at his cute face. There was a small tuft of dark hair on top of his head already. He was wailing and sobbing, evidently hungry. Trying to keep the blanket as a cover, she latched him to her to feed. Shane kissed the top of her head.

"Mom, Dad...when did you guys get in?" she asked.

"Late last night," Catherine replied. "We saw the baby and then we went back to your place." She smiled. "Shane said that you guys still haven't agreed on a name yet."

"We have," she replied. Shane stared at her, surprised.

"What have you named our grandson?"

"Aaron Vincent Peter McMahon," she replied. Shane smiled and kissed the top of her head. He was still overwhelmed that they had a baby now. And he was so thankful that at least he made it to watch his son come into the world. Even though it had been a real close call.

"Such a beautiful name," Catherine commented. Rinoa smiled.

"We couldn't decide which grandfather to name him after, so we went with both," she replied. Shane was beaming from ear to ear as he stared down at his son.

"How are you feeling?" Pete asked her. She sighed.

"I'm sore," she confessed. "I don't really remember much of what happened after they sedated me."

"Well, to stop the bleeding, Noa, they gave you an ablasion. We're supposed to monitor you for any complications from hereon in," Stephanie told her gently.

"Otherwise what?" Rinoa asked. Aaron began to whimper and she switched sides.

"Otherwise they might have to do a hysterectomy," Shane told her. Rinoa felt a bit of a chill rush through her. She knew that even though everything had happened, she still wanted at least one more child with him. She could only hope that nothing went wrong in the next few weeks.

"How long do they plan on keeping me here?"

"A few days," Shane said. "Just to monitor you. Aaron's healthy, but they want to make sure the bleeding isn't worse than what it is now. After that, you can come home and rest up there." She smiled and he leaned down and gave her a kiss. "I'm not going anywhere until then, so you don't need to worry about a thing." Rinoa flashed him a smile. Aaron cried to say that he was done, and Rinoa burped the baby before letting Stephanie hold him. She looked over at her parents.

"How long are you guys here for?"

"Just another week," Pete replied. "I have to get back to work then. We had to come and meet our grandson as soon as we could." Rinoa nodded.

"I'm sorry I made him come out so early," she said.

"Well, we're pretty sure you didn't intend on falling out of the shower," Stephanie replied. Rinoa nodded.

"Point taken." She leaned back against the pillow. Her incision was itchy, but she knew better than to scratch it.

That night, when everybody left, Rinoa got up from bed. She knew that everybody wanted her to lay down, but she needed to move about. Everybody being so careful with her was making her feel like an invalid, and she didn't like it. Shane had gone downstairs to get himself a coffee, thinking that Rinoa had fallen asleep. She was thankful that Shane was looking out for her so much, but at the same time, she felt stir-crazy at the hospital. She just wanted to go home with Aaron and get back to life with the family. She was also praying that nothing more went wrong with her. The idea of getting a hysterectomy terrified her; she knew that Shane at least wanted one more child with her, and she wondered if Shane would look at her any differently if she couldn't have another child.

Her entire body ached. She kept thinking about how lucky she was that Hunter and Stephanie had arrived when they had. She wasn't sure what she would have done had she lost the baby so close to its due date. It would have crushed Shane, and it would have been as equally devastating for her. She made her way to the resting area and asked to see her son. The nurse brought him over and put him in her arms.

Shane was initially in a panic when he returned and found Rinoa missing from the hospital room. He knew she couldn't have gotten very far; after all, she was recuperating from a traumatizing childbirth. Making his way towards the elevator, he decided to check in with the nurses down with the babies. He assumed her maternal instincts had kicked in and she couldn't handle being away from her son. When the doors opened, he made his way towards the area where all the babies were resting, stopping in the door frame when he saw Rinoa holding onto his son, staring down at him with a soft smile tugging at her features. It was evident she was barely on her feet, but she was determined to hold onto her son and just take in his features. It was a touching moment that made Shane unsure if he wanted to even step into the picture. But she spotted him standing in the doorway and motioned for him to come in. It was a moment Shane knew he definitely didn't want to miss out on.


	19. Surprise On Their Doorstep

**Chapter Nineteen: A Surprise On The Doorstep**

Two weeks later, when everybody had seemingly settled back into a normal existence, Shane and Rinoa were sitting on the couch while Aaron slept against her chest, watching television. Since he had come home from the hospital, he seemed to be a quiet baby, only crying when he wanted something or when he was overtired. Rinoa and Shane doted on him; he never had to cry for very long before he would silence again, staring up at his mother with his father's enormous eyes in fascination before she would lift him up against her chest.

"I love you," Shane whispered to Rinoa, kissing the side of her head. She rested her head against him, as he stared down at her glossy brunette hair.

"He's so beautiful," she gushed, running a hand over Aaron's head. He was seemingly dead to the world, completely asleep and seemingly oblivious to his parents fawning over him. It didn't matter what she did; she could never keep her hands off of him, disbelieving that the beautiful child that rested in the house was hers and Shane's. It was overwhelming to say the least.

The doorbell rang and she looked up. "Were you expecting anybody, Shane-O?" she asked. Shane shook his head. Rinoa shrugged. "Must be Steph," she replied, standing to her feet. "Can you get that, honey? I'm just going to put the little guy in his crib." Shane nodded and stood to his feet while she went and put him down in the nursery that he had worked so hard on. The doorbell rang again and Shane rolled his eyes, ready to scold them for ringing the doorbell while Aaron slept.

"You guys..." He said, opening the door. He stopped.

"Congratulations!" Past the blue congratulatory balloons and the gift bags were Randy Orton and his girlfriend Samantha, enormous smiles plastered to their faces.

"Hey, guys! Come on in!" Shane cocked an eyebrow. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I had a meeting with Vince at headquarters," Randy began, "And I promised Noa I'd come out and see the baby, so Samantha and I decided to come and visit and congratulate you two. Did we come at a bad time?"

"No, no," Shane assured them quickly, noting the guilty expression on Randy's face and the concern on Samantha's. "Rinoa's just putting Aaron in his crib. She should be out in a minute."

Rinoa emerged, as if on cue, and her face lit up. "Randy! Sam! Oh, my God, what are you guys doing here?" She rushed to the door and gave her friend and his girlfriend a hug. Randy was scared to hug her tightly; worried about how she was feeling post-surgery.

"I had to come out and meet with Vince, so we decided to come out and see you," Randy said. "Just like I promised. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Happy to be home," she said. She eyed the balloons and the bags. "What's all this?"

"We brought you some congratulatory gifts," Samantha said with a smile. Rinoa laughed.

"It looks like you guys bought out a toy store...and a balloon stand," she said. They laughed.

"We may have," Samantha said. "Randy just went absolutely insane in there. It was like watching a kid in the candy store."

"That's my nephew," Randy said in his defense. "And, as my nephew, it's my job to spoil the shit out of him. Please tell me you have my back on this Rinoa." They laughed and Shane sidestepped to let them into the house. Rinoa distanced from Randy and Samantha and sat down on the couch.

"How have you been feeling, Noa?" Samantha asked. "Randy was telling me that it was a pretty scary situation." Rinoa nodded.

"I'm fine," she assured everybody in the room. "Just thankful to be out of the hospital. The food there was horrible, and I didn't like being away from the house." She smiled.

"Steph said that there was the chance that you might have to have a hysterectomy," Randy said. "Something about the after affects of an accident or something."

"Yeah. I slipped getting out of the shower and induced labor," Rinoa replied. "Thank God Hunter and Steph arrived when they did. The doctors told me if I bleed really bad within the next few weeks then I'm going to have to go and have one to stop the haemorraging. I'm praying that's not going to be the case."

"That would be awful," Samantha agreed.

"Shane's been making it so that I don't have to do too much, but I feel like an invalid waiting for my scars to heal up." Shane draped an arm around his wife.

"It's the least I can do. She gave me a son, for crying out loud." Randy smiled.

"How have things been on Raw since I've been gone?" Rinoa asked. Randy shrugged.

"Same old, same old. Trish Stratus is screaming for you to come back; Christy Hemme is driving her absolutely crazy." Rinoa laughed.

"From what I heard, she could drive a lot of people insane," Rinoa replied. "But I guess it's always good to have somebody in the company who really is happy to be here. I mean, it could be worse for the Diva Search."

"Well, Dad signed a few of the runner ups, too," Shane replied. Rinoa sighed.

"Which ones?"

"Michelle McCool, Maria Kanellis, Candice Michelle, Amy Weber, and Joy Giovanni," Shane replied. "Dad wanted to fatten up the women's division on SmackDown a bit, so I think most of them are heading over there." Rinoa nodded, but she sighed. She wasn't particularly crazy about all these Diva Search rejects diluting the talent pool. But she knew better than to voice that now that her last name was McMahon. It was taking the company position to the hilt now that she was part of the corporate side as well.

"Are you going to open your presents?" Samantha asked. Shane handed her a bag.

"Holy impatience, Samantha," Rinoa laughed. A stab of pain hit her incision, but she didn't let anybody else know that she felt pain. She began to move the baby blue tissue paper out of the way, while she kept up the endless chatter with Randy, Samantha and Shane. She didn't think it was possible, but at the moment, life was perfect.


	20. Staying Busy

**AN: So this is the last chapter of this and yes, I am aware it's a short chapter...just because there isn't a lot more to go with here and I have a lot worked on for the next book, which is going to be posted after this chapter. Thanks to everyone for reading, and yes, I will post new Darkest Hour, Rose of Sharyn and The Assistant chapters. **

**Chapter Twenty: Staying Busy**

Shane returned to Raw a few weeks later with a wide smile on his face and baby pictures in his wallet. He couldn't wait to show off Aaron to his friends that hadn't made it to visit. Randy Orton couldn't stop gushing about how much Aaron looked like Shane and how beautiful and well-behaved he was.

At the moment, Shane was with Gerald Brisco and Pat Patterson, going over a few things in the Gorilla Position before Raw started. Shane was trying his damnedest to stay focused, but was finding it close to impossible, knowing that Rinoa and Aaron were waiting for him when they got home.

"Shane? Earth to McMahon!"

Shane shook his head and stared at Patterson. "Yeah. I'm listening. Short entrances for the mid-carders tonight." Patterson and Brisco exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"What are you doing here, Shane?" Patterson asked.

"I work here."

"Hardy fucking har," Gerry laughed. "I mean, what are you doing here when your head's not in the right space?"

"Because I work here," Shane chuckled. "Anyways, Noa's holding down the fort at home, so there isn't really much use for me there at the moment."

"How is the little guy doing?"

"Great," he replied. "He's healthy, gaining weight, and you'd never know Noa had to have an emergency C-section by the way she's been moving around," Shane said. "We all got really lucky that nothing happened to Noa or Aaron after that accident."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," Patterson said. "How's Vince been?"

"Amazing grandfather," Shane replied. "He dotes on Aaron like crazy. He'd probably never admit it, but I think my son has him wrapped around his finger." They laughed.

"You won't understand it now," Brisco replied, "But there's just something about being around and healthy enough to appreciate grandchildren." Shane nodded.

"I'm sure there is," he said. "But right now, I'm just happy to be a father."

At home, Rinoa was rested on the couch, her eyes closed in an attempt to doze. Aaron slept here and there for a little bit at a time and Rinoa was finding herself catching sleep anywhere that she could get it. It bothered her that she always felt exhausted, but she loved the feeling of having a family with Shane. Whenever he was home, he helped her with Aaron, and it seemed like work within the WWE wasn't as important as having the family now. Marriage and Aaron seemed like the first priority, even though Shane was disheartened to know that Rinoa didn't plan on returning to the ring anytime soon. He knew how hard she had worked to pursue her dreams; he hated to think that she was going to give it up. But Rinoa wasn't giving any sort of argument about the issue; it was as though she didn't care. The truth was, she didn't at the moment. At the moment, Aaron and Shane were the only two things that mattered to her more than anything in the world. Life inside of the WWE ring just seemed to be fading off into the distance.


End file.
